In Pieces
by laughXoutXloud
Summary: Gabriella is desperate to lose her virginity, and Troy is her sole volunteer. That afternoon is the most meaningful of their lives. They think about each other all their lives and meet many more times, yet they never reach forever.
1. The Sole Volunteer

**A/N: Umm...this story just popped into my head. I was encouraged to do it (thanks by the way), so I thought, what the hell. It's a worth a try. I definitely wrote it in a different style...tell me if you like it or not. It's more vague, but it's on purpose. I want to create a more mysterious, bizarre feel. Did it work? I'd really like to know! **

**I'm not promising consistent updates on this and it's not going to be too long. I wrote this chapter very quickly and all at once, so I apologize if it seems rushed...does it? **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Disney or High School Musical and am in no way affiliated with it. **

* * *

Gabriella Montez yearned to lose her virginity.

Badly.

She seemed to be the only person in the entire grade that still hadn't once had sex—and it killed her. Gabriella loathed being excluded. She was always desperate to fit in, desperate to be like everyone else. She detested standing out. She wanted to be just like everyone else.

And so, at the ripe age of sixteen, Gabriella Montez was determined to lose her virginity. She gave herself a time goal of one year.

Kelsi swallowed hard and gawked up at her from her milk carton with laughing eyes. "You're crazy."

"What?" Gabriella asked naively, her eyebrows gathering the middle. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to lose my virginity."

She just wanted to get it over with, once and for all.

She was tired of fooling around and then getting nowhere. She was done with that.

"You just broke up with Jason," Kelsi sighed with a disapproving shake of the head. She scribbled something on a heavily marked page of sheet music. "Give it a rest."

"I'm serious, Kel," Gabriella muttered distractedly as she played with the red straw sitting in her chocolate milk. "I'm more than ready to get this done with. I just need to find someone who'll get in, get out, and then I'll never have to talk with them again."

"Good luck," Kelsi mumbled vaguely under her breath as she took a polite bite of breaded chicken.

"I don't think I'm going to have a hard time," Gabriella shrugged as she scanned the bustling cafeteria. "The guys in our grade are horny as hell."

"But they're all taken," Kelsi remarked matter-of-factly with a raise of her eyebrow. "Well, except Jason."

"Didn't you hear? He's already with Kara," Gabriella burbled dimly with a millionth resigned sigh. "All the guys in the junior class would have no problem with one quick fuck. Besides, it's just a quick favor, and since I'm virgin…more people would be willing. Right?"

Kelsi shrugged dispassionately and scratched her cheek before forking a few peas and inserting them in her tiny mouth.

"I don't know…I was just thinking," Gabriella murmured despairingly, resting her chin on her hand in boredom. She frowned contemplatively for a moment, and then glared down at her limp food. She twirled her fork in sauced spaghetti, chewing tensely on the insides of her cheek.

"Just do what you want," Kelsi advised casually after an easy moment of silence, her eyes still glued to her papers. "Just don't regret it."

Gabriella nodded in comprehension, pausing her actions and stiffening somewhat. "Hey, Kelsi…what was your first time like?"  
"It wasn't as bad as people warned me it was," Kelsi disclosed thoughtfully, finally halting her work for a moment, "yet, it still was nowhere near the best."

"Mmm…" Gabriella hummed musingly to herself, thinking deeply.

She was more than ready. She had been ready for so much time, and now she would finally get what she wanted. If no one was going to hand it to her, she was going to get out there and get it for herself.

Now the ultimate question dangled tauntingly in the air before her: from whom?

* * *

"_I _personally recommend Zeke Baylor," Sharpay gibbered quickly as she quickly surveyed the sparkled clothing on the rack. "He knows what he does."

"Sharpay!" Gabriella half laughed, half scolded from the opposite side of the rack. "He's your boyfriend!"

"I'm willing to let you borrow him," Sharpay shrugged indifferently, selecting a tangerine-colored tank top glittering with circular diamonds. "Dolores, just rip this one." She pointed to it with her free hand, and the elderly woman waddled over and wordlessly took the shirt.

"No, no…" Gabriella trailed off with a sigh. "I'd rather go with single guys first."

"You can always buy one," Sharpay suggested coolly, considerately holding up a pair of bedazzled pants in front of her. The shade of pink was so bright that it hurt Gabriella's eyes. "I'll lend you the money."

"That's nice of you, Shar, but I'd rather do it with someone I've actually heard of and who's my age," Gabriella chuckled lightly to herself.

"Well…how about Gerard Daily?"

"Eww! Fuck, no. He's too much of a geek."

"Well, he's single!" Sharpay scoffed defensively, crossing her arms over her chest.

"And for a good reason! Did you see what he was wearing last Tuesday?" Gabriella snorted as she remembered.

Gabriella wasn't exactly popular, nor was she a "peasant"; she was somewhere in between. Roughly half of her friends were popular, the other half average. So naturally, that put her somewhere in between. On a scale of one to five (one being the least popular, five being the most popular), she was a solid four.

"I know, he really needs some help." Sharpay closely examined a shimmering strapless dress before flinging it into a heap of unacceptable items. Who knew clearing out her closet could be so much work. "Fine then. Who else?" She shrugged and swiftly swiveled around to face Gabriella. "I don't know. Sorry, but you're going to have to find yourself another agent."

Gabriella bit her lip again and nervously threaded her fingers through her dark curls.

This was going to be much more difficult than she had thought.

* * *

"What about Harry Heller?" Martha proposed lamely. She was quickly running out of ideas.

"No fucking way." Gabriella shook her head with wide eyes.

"Vladimir Blursinski?"

"No! He can't even speak English!"

"Donald Matheson?"

"He can't even count to five."

"Fred Freedman?"

"He hit me on the head with a basketball last year. On purpose. I swear."

Martha rolled her eyes. "I think you're being too picky. Like you said, it's only one tiny favor. Just to get it over with and break the tissue. You won't even remember this in ten years!" Martha threw up her hands to make her point. "You've got some dream guy in your brain."

"No, I don't!" Gabriella insisted stubbornly.

"I'm out of ideas, Brie. Maybe Taylor has some more suggestions?" Martha sighed, turning back to her incomplete homework.

She was getting sick of being on the prowl like this.

She steadfastly decided that Taylor McKessie would be the last person she'd ask.

* * *

"Hmm…Gerard Daily?" Taylor proposed upon learning of Gabriella's quest.

"No."

"Donald Matheson?"

"No."

"Harry Heller?"

"No."

"Jason Cross?"

"He's dating Kara Putnam now," Gabriella filled her in composedly.

"Damn, already?"

"Yeah."

"What a _bastard_!"

"Anyway, keep going," Gabriella briskly reminded her.

"Steven Yards?"

"No! That's a definite no."

"What, and the others aren't? Because you seriously need to be more considerate. Some of these people are perfectly fine!" Taylor claimed. She was a bit offended, her cheeks puffed with color.

"To _you_," Gabriella garbled under her breath. "Any other suggestions?"

"Vladimir Blur-something?"

"No."

"I give up, then."

Gabriella coyly smiled to herself as she remembered that she hadn't reviewed the taken people yet.

She bid her good friend a hasty farewell and went home to ponder out more valuable names.

* * *

Troy's fists clenched, and he felt like punching something.

"No!" his voice seemed to explode. "No! I've been telling you over and over again. What you did with Will Fleming counts as _flirting_."

"I was sitting in his lap," Bethany pouted flimsily. Her dainty shoulders shrugged. "What's so bad about that?"

"His arms were around you! You were letting him…he was _nuzzling _his face into your hair! Doesn't that seem a little _off _to you?" Troy grunted in frustration, his face reddened with frustration and impatience. How much dumber could this bimbo be?

"Oh…sorry, Troy," the fake blonde giggled obnoxiously. She squirmed awkwardly in her spot and smiled strangely at him, showing all of her white teeth to him. "How about we forget about this?"

"No! I'm sick and tired of doing that. This is the last time I'm letting you get away with flirting! We're _dating_, Beth. We're _in a relationship_. Apparently, that has no meaning to you!" Troy fumed lividly. He was boiling with hot rage, spilling over his brim now.

"Oh…sorry, Troy," she repeated stupidly. "I guess I'll go home now," she decided timidly, wheeling around on her heel just slightly. "Um…I'll see you tomorrow, Troy. Bye." She spun around fully and began to stride away.

"No!" Troy erupted angrily again, his features tense with fury. "_No_! Beth, come back here. We need to settle this once and for all. I'll make it quick. That's it. This is the end of us." Troy's husky voice was firm and resolute.

Beth's emaciated face avalanched and scrawny body hunched over in disappointment. "Really?"

"_Yes_, really," Troy growled furiously, glowering angrily at her. "Now please, just get out of here and run to Will. You make me sick. I…I have nothing left to say." Troy collapsed onto the wooden bench with his head falling into his hands, his ankles locking. He was done with her.

Bethany waded gawkily by him, gaping speechlessly at him. After some time, she gave up, strolling calmly away.

Troy cursed heatedly under his breath and cursed some more in his truck. He then rumbled all the way to the gym, and played basketball until he was dizzy, just to take his mind off of her.

He needed to find something, _someone_, to take his mind off of that crazy woman. To make him forget.

* * *

Gabriella quickly grew frustrated. Besides the fact that she had short patience, she just couldn't seem to think of anyone worthy. Her head was pounding from thinking so much. She even resorted to last year's yearbook, although the outdated, pimply pictures did not do anyone much justice.

Gabriella flipped open her silver laptop, pulled it onto her lap, and slouched against the plush pillows against the headboard of her bed. She pursed her lips as she checked her email, an idea suddenly sparking in her mind.

She could write a little…flyer of some sort.

There was an infamous website she could manipulate—the _New Mexico Circle_, a site for teenagers living in the state. A sly smile twisted the corners of her mouth upwards as the idea sharpened in her mind. She clicked on the bookmark, and her tiny fingers were soon rapidly typing away.

* * *

_Name: Anonymous_

_Age: 16_

_Sex: Female _

_I'm a junior in Bernalillo County. I'm a virgin, and I'm looking for someone to take that away. I just need it done as quick, harmless favor; to get rid of my virginity once and for all. There's a money reward involved. _

_Thank you. _

_Please email a reply to me at . More information will follow from there._

Troy gazed thoughtfully at the request. Maybe that was what he needed…and besides, it would be a nice favor to someone. Troy knew he was crazy, but he generously responded anyway.

* * *

The next day after school, Gabriella was greeted with a response from an email username named . She anxiously scrolled down to read it.

_Hello. I read your request on _New Mexico Circle _and I'm willing to take your virginity for you. I'll be seventeen in two weeks, I'm male, and I live in Albuquerque. Please let me know if you will choose me or not. If you do, respond and I will give you more information so we can meet and get this done. _

Gabriella grinned delightedly at this, and eagerly answered.

* * *

Troy was remotely surprised to see a response that night.

_It's convenient that you live in Albuquerque. So do I. What days can you meet? When is a good time for you? Where…? I'm thinking the Hilton hotel on Bradley Street. _

Troy responded:

_That's a good place. How about Thursday afternoon? Maybe…five o'clock? _

He received a reply almost immediately, to his astonishment.

_Perfect. So I guess I'll see you there. I'll email you what number room it is. I'll put my name down as Mary. Can you bring condoms and all that shit? _

Troy was surprised at how quickly he was typing.

_Yeah. See you there. _

It was Monday. And honestly, he was looking forward to Thursday afternoon.

* * *

Gabriella decided against telling her friends that she had discovered someone. She knew them, and she knew that they would pry and force her to tell who it was and where she had found them. And she knew from there, she'd run into trouble. She knew very well that there was nothing riskier than meeting people online and then plan to meet.

_Oh no!_, Gabriella panicked all of a sudden during English on Wednesday afternoon. _What if he's a rapist or a pervert? Or some total freak? _What had she _done_? The guy would think she was a fucking prostitute! Wait, no she _was_! She had just turned herself into a fucking prostitute! Was she crazy? Possibly. Desperate was more like it. She planned to bring a baseball bat with her to the hotel the next day for defense.

* * *

Troy drummed his fingers nervously against the wooden surface of his desk. His heart's rhythm was irregular. What had he _done_? He had said yes at meeting a complete stranger! Via the Internet! That seemed to make it worse. And what was she, some sort of _prostitute_? Troy was suddenly frightened. His heart thumped wildly in his chest, only making him buzz with anxiety more. He would just have to wait and see that Thursday evening. It was a secret—no one knew, and he didn't plan on telling anyone. They would think he were crazy! It was just going to be a quick thing. A quick favor. It would help him forget about Bethany. Plus, he would get a money reward out of it. Troy attempted to calm himself down, but it proved to be harder than he thought. He was nervous for more than one reason.

After school that Wednesday, he drove to the pharmacy and bought condoms and lubricant.

And a kiddy baseball bat. Just in case.

* * *

Thursday seemed to approach so agonizingly slow.

Gabriella couldn't wait to lose her virginity. She couldn't wait to be a real woman.

Gabriella fretfully made a visit to Victoria's Secret, purchasing numerous lacy bras and panties and all sorts of lingerie. She knew she wouldn't even use half of it, but she wanted options.

She also made a stop at Sephora's, buying some fragranced lotions and new perfumes. She probably wasn't going to use them, but she wanted to have them just in case.

Could you tell she was nervous?

She was literally shaking all of Thursday at school.

What had she _done_? She had organized to meet a _stranger. _To _have sex _with a stranger. Her _first time_! She was mental. She really was.

She went through the entire school day in a blurry daze. She didn't pay attention in class. She merely sat there numbly, her rigid hand vibrating as she scrawled doodles in the corners of her notebook. During lunch, she did the same thing, not even touching her food. Thankfully, Kelsi was immersed in the music she was currently writing, so she hardly even recognized Gabriella's ghostlike presence.

After school, Gabriella went directly home and began to prepare herself. She took a long, steaming shower, poured baby oil all over her smooth skin, rubbing more lotion on top of that. She tugged on the new matching set of underwear she'd bought, slipping on a silky, revealing dress over it. She tediously tended to her brunette hair, making sure each coil of her hair was flawlessly shaped. She vigorously brushed her pearly teeth, making sure to cover every spot, gargling Listerine too. After meticulously painting her face with makeup and applying perfume, she looked as perfect as a mannequin.

He, whoever he was, would drop dead.

Lastly, she slid into a pair of sexy black stilettos and slung her purse over her shoulder. She grabbed the baseball bat leaning against her bed.

She was more than ready.

* * *

Thursday was the slowest day of them all.

It seemed to slug by, so gradually that it was painful.

Each period was a month, and the entire school day felt like a year. More than anything, Troy was craving that sexual satisfaction he had missed with Bethany.

Troy didn't do much to prepare. He took a shower, washed his hair twice with shampoo, and scrubbed everywhere with soap. He sprayed on some cologne and cut his fingernails and toenails. He brushed his teeth. He even lazily combed his hair once. He dressed himself in loose jeans and a lame T-shirt, also sticking some sunglasses behind his ears. He grabbed his wallet, stuffed them in his pants, grabbed the kiddy baseball bat, and was out the door.

He arrived at the hotel at five o'clock sharp so maybe he'd see her in the lobby, and if she was some whack job, he could still run out. But she wasn't there.

As he rose in the elevator to the third floor, his heart only hammered harder. This had not been a good decision. He had made a horrible decision. He kept thinking this as he blankly walked towards the door blatantly numbered three hundred and four, and his hand was tense as it wavered over the golden doorknob. His fingers enclosed around the knob, twisted, and then opened.

The room was plain but neat, dark but clean. The long, flowing drapes curtained the windows, blocking the weakening afternoon sun.

Troy gulped forcibly, taking a hesitant step forward into the room and slowly shutting the door close behind him.

She was sitting there, on the middle of the bed and leaning against the headboard, looking like some sort of angel.

His mouth dropped.

He stood there, ogling and gawking and gaping at her discourteously, to Gabriella's sheer amusement. The thin dress she sported hung low and exposed a stunning amount of cleavage, and the stilettos only made the sight more tempting. Her beautiful face seemed to be carved personally by God, her orbs enormous and velvety and alluring. Gabriella wore a smug expression, but as his eyes locked with hers, the intensity slammed into her full force and wiped the sly smirk off of her face immediately. She soon found herself stammering, fumbling desperately for adequate words. He probably wasn't going to need that baseball bat.

He himself wasn't a bad sight at all.

He looked so adorable standing there, looking lost but so sexy. His chestnut hair was hopelessly windswept, his eyes the softest, most gorgeous tint of baby blue she'd ever seen. His chest was obviously defined and muscular, as were his arms and legs. Was he some sort of _model_? How had she gotten this lucky? She most likely wasn't going to need that baseball bat.

"I know you," she dully managed to splutter out. "I know you. Do you go to East High?" She inclined her body forward in interest, her face scrunching as she concentrated.

"Yeah," Troy breathed, running his fingers sexily through his hair. He dumped his things at the foot of the bed, apprehensively advancing towards her.

"I think I've seen you in the halls," Gabriella mused with a glowing smile. "You're on the basketball team, aren't you?"

Troy nodded mutely.

Troy wasn't _the _popular guy; there wasn't really one at East High, but Troy was undoubtedly a member of the popular clique.

"I dated Jason Cross," Gabriella mumbled embarrassedly, color trickling into her face as she realized the information would only make everything more awkward. "We just broke up."

"Oh, right," Troy nodded as he recalled. "I'm sorry that didn't work out.

"You're dating Bethany Joyner, right?" Gabriella asked quickly, trying her best to obscure her disappointment. Troy Bolton was a good catch. She could easily see herself dating him.

"We broke up a couple days ago," Troy clarified tersely. Gabriella was about to lament, but Troy spoke again before she could begin. "Okay, so…um, let's start this." He shrugged off his lightweight coat and flung it onto the armchair beside the bed, crawling onto the bed beside her.

The atmosphere was surprisingly comfortable. It wasn't stuffy or tense like he'd expected; it was rather tranquil and peaceful. Troy found himself at ease, and Gabriella was equally relaxed.

"How do you want to do this?" Troy benignly asked.

"Carefully," Gabriella instructed firmly, "but not too much foreplay."

"Okay," Troy answered as the information sunk in. "Okay."

Before Troy could say anything else, she had whipped off her dress to expose her nearly nude body. Troy got a grand look at her in her underwear, which looked so breathtaking that Troy almost fainted. Her plump breasts were the right size for him, and were covered by a black padded bra. Her laced panties matched.

"Wow," Troy huffed huskily. "You look amazing."

"Thanks," Gabriella shyly replied. Wait…when had she become _shy_?

Troy pushed her back against the cushions, his elbows on either side of her. He stared deep into her chocolate eyes, getting lost in them, and was not much later cautiously kissing her. Gabriella found his lips so soft; they were perfect and warm and wet, and she was fervently gnawing at them in no time. Her hands made tight fists in his T-shirt, jerking him closer absentmindedly. Troy's hands held the sides of her face steady, a little embarrassed when he moaned out some. The embarrassment quickly faded when Gabriella emitted an urgent moan herself, one that was so sexy that he instantly hardened. Gabriella smiled into their long and languid kisses as she felt a bugle beginning to form below, and she wrapped her arm around his waist, squeezing him thoughtfully. Troy's fingers outlined the straps of her bra, following them down to her cups. He didn't waste time in unfastening the bra and flinging it away, cradling the two full mounds in his hands. Gabriella had never felt anything like this. She bit her lip hard at the amazing sensations, uncontrollable moans slipping out of her mouth as he carefully began to knead them. Troy loved the feel of her smooth skin in his hands, and he loved the erotic noises she was making. It was nothing like it had been with Bethany. And to think he had never spoken a single word to this girl in his entire life.

"What's your name again?" Gabriella moaned out as Troy began to suck greedily at her neck.

"Troy…B-Bolton," Troy stuttered faintly, "and you?"

"Gabriella…Montez-z," Gabriella revealed shortly, balling his hair in her hands. "Oh God! _Troy_! "

Troy felt himself harden even more at the sound of his name being yelled so desperately like that. "Oh God," Troy groaned. "Please say it again."

"Troy," Gabriella repeated in a whisper, her eyes flickering close as he peppered kisses all over her bare chest. "Troy…Troy…"

There was a sort of steam accumulating somewhere within her, the heat building and rising and escalating with every moment. It felt good, but the yearning she felt for its relief was more.

"Hmmm…" Troy muttered dazedly against her skin, raking his teeth down to her flat stomach. His tongue darted in and out of her bellybutton, his index fingers hooking the hem of her panties and ripping them off. Gabriella produced a little gasp, then quickly calmed. Her hair was already damp and beginning to frizz up, but she only looked more beautiful. Troy gently unwound the necklaces from around her neck, and Gabriella hazily took off her earrings. Troy's tongue swirled around the plane of her stomach once more, licking every inch of skin down until her opening. Gabriella couldn't believe what he was doing. This was the first time they'd even met, for God's sake! But she didn't want him to stop. Ever. His fingers brushed the curls of hair in between her thighs, and he smiled sheepishly up at her. He softly pressed his palm to her entrance, moaning out as he felt just how wet she was.

"God, Gabriella," Troy sighed anxiously. "You're so fucking…wet."

Gabriella was exceptionally effervescent and godlike as she ran her tongue enticingly over her bottom lip. "You're pretty hard yourself."

Troy was mildly surprised when Gabriella reached out and grasped the tent in his jeans. Her fingers were tight around his member, and Troy stifled another moan.

"I can't believe you've never done this before," Troy composedly deliberated aloud. "You seem to know what you're doing."

"I've done most everything," Gabriella cheekily explained as she shimmied off Troy's jeans for him, "except the actual sex." Gabriella shot him another beaming grin before adding sultrily, "But I've never done it on this level before. The other times I did these things…it was much clumsier."

Troy allowed Gabriella to wriggle off his boxers. He let her touch and feel and hold his precious sex organ, for her curiosity was too big to ignore. He knew she was ready when she suggestively leaned back against the pillows that rested against the headboard, her slender legs spread invitingly apart. Troy sucked in a breath and grabbed the condoms and lubricant he bought, Gabriella watched breathlessly as he carefully put them on. He crept back over to her and strategically positioned himself above her, silence ringing throughout the relaxed room. Gabriella gazed up deeply into his cyan eyes with a look that Troy immediately understood. It said: _I trust you_. Troy swallowed hard, kissed her jaw chastely, and gently pushed the first inch of himself inside of her. He peered up at Gabriella, who was stiff but signaled for him to continue.

"Just do it all at once," Gabriella requested softly. She looked so tiny and vulnerable under him. Like just an immature teenager…a child…a baby. This suddenly made him more protective and watchful. He whispered kisses against her cheek again before plunging the rest of him inside of her all at once. Gabriella immediately clawed at his back, her fingernails digging into his flesh. "Oh, fuck," she mumbled under her breath.

"Do you want me to pull out?" Troy genially volunteered.

"No, no." Gabriella shook her head. "Just…give me a second."

It felt strange to her. She bit her lip as she usually did, and tears involuntarily burned her eyes. She wrapped her other arm around Troy's neck, and Troy dug his face into hers, pecking her skin gently. The pain was more than she had anticipated, yet manageable. It mostly took place in her abdomen, sharp and foreign-feeling. After a moment, she unleashed a sigh and told Troy to continue.

Troy slowly pumped in and out of her, very slowly. Gabriella winced at times, but the hurt was beginning to fade away. Troy steadily increased his pace, faster and faster and faster until suddenly, she had reached her peak. This was a whole other adventure, and it was riveting. She held onto her orgasm for as long as she could before it disappeared and she dropped back against the bed, hearing her name being screamed out by Troy as he encountered his own climax. He was on top of her a few seconds later.

"That was good," Gabriella garbled fuzzily. "Good."

She was lying. That had been _incredible_.

"Yeah?" Troy murmured back hoarsely, panting hard. He slowly pulled out of her, alarmed at the blood that drenched the condom. He didn't bother alert Gabriella to worry her, quickly discarding the incarnadined condom in the trash.

Neither knew then that they would remember that day for the rest of their lives.

Neither knew then how symbolic that moment had been.

Neither knew then that they would later constantly leave one another, and consistently find themselves back in that position once more.

Neither knew then that moment had been their Chance.


	2. All Over the Place

**A/N: Again, I'm not promising quick updates on this one. I will not be updating frequently at all for any of my stories in the next two weeks...I advise you not to get your hopes up...think of it as a mini hiatus. I'll try my best, but I doubt I'll be updating. And if I do, you guys are lucky. :P LOL **

**So this does skip a lot of time. There will be flashbacks though, to clarify and explain previous events. And yes, their lives sound messed up but that is part of the point. You shall see in later chapters... **

**Thanks for all the support for this story! I was really blown away by the amazing reception. Thanks you guys so much again! You have no idea how I treasure your kind and insightful reviews.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Disney or High School Musical and am in no way affiliated with it. **

* * *

In the next two years following, much had changed in both of their lives.

For one, Gabriella had been forced to relocate to southern California, where it was always sunny and moderately warm. The overall change had been a brutal astonishment at first, but after the first year, she finally was accustomed to the new place. Gabriella was now an amateur prostitute—she did it for fun, by this drive that she wasn't sure where it came from. But it was strong and powerful and it dominated her mind. A part of her, deep down inside, was constantly searching for another Troy. Another boy to make her mind spin and whirl. Not only in sex, but that was a fine start. She still found herself thinking about Troy, all the time. Even after that day, when they would pass each other in the halls, his gorgeous eyes would be glittering for her and at her.

_"Listen," Taylor sighed. "I've got to go get Chad so we can get down to this, okay? Are you _sure _that you didn't steal his lucky basketball?" _

_"Tay, where would I _put _it?" Gabriella repeated for the millionth time, fed up. "It's the only thing he carries that's bigger than his hair!" She crossly crossed her slender arms across her chest, leaning back stubbornly against the cool metal lockers. _

_"You've got to stay here and wait until I get him," Taylor instructed firmly, her eyes concrete and serious. No games. She needed to get her boyfriend back to normal. He was freaking out about where his beloved basketball had gone, and his first accusation had been fired upon an innocent Gabriella. _

_"What?!" Gabriella fumed heatedly, her beautiful face flooded with red. "That's not fair! It wasn't me! How many fucking times do I have to tell you?" _

_"Until we get this solved, it may be many," Taylor humphed grouchily. "Now stay, and don't run away. Actually…" She drifted off to the other side of the crowded hallway, and came back through the mass of bustling teenagers with Troy in her death grip. His eyes nearly fell out of their sockets as he saw her against the white lockers, his jaw dropping. _

_Oh_ no.

_Gabriella felt her own heart begin to hammer wildly in her chest as she peered up at Troy, so handsome and hot and sexy in his polo. He ran his fingers nervously through his hair, trying to steady his uneven breathing._

_"You watch her," Taylor directed sternly to Troy, pushing the basketball captain against the lockers beside Gabriella and darting down the hallway through the other students before either could object._

_Troy had rocketed to popularity all of a sudden once he had won the position of the basketball captain, and Gabriella didn't know how to behave in his presence anymore. Troy Bolton the Basketball Captain was an Untouchable now. He was too godlike and too valuable and precious and worthy to be touched or spoken to. He was a celebrity and treated with great deals of respect. Gabriella, on the other hand, had gradually descended ranks, and was now also an Untouchable. She had been erased from the grade entirely; she was filthy with intelligence and responsibility, contaminated with a passionate love for learning. You could not talk to Gabriella Montez the Bookworm, but you could step on her if you liked. _

_"Hey," Gabriella croaked weakly. The hallways were beginning to thin of students as it was the end of the day, and Gabriella was beginning to feel more insecure. She would soon be alone with the Troy Bolton in an empty, quiet place. In her eyes, he had changed since her first time in that hotel, all because of his new label. But it wasn't true; he was still the same person. Little did she know. _

_"Hey, Gabriella," Troy politely addressed her. He stood awkwardly in front of her, rubbing his right hand in the other nervously. _

_"How've you…been?" the seventeen-year-old beauty choked out back clumsily. "I heard you're the captain of the varsity basketball team." _

_"Yeah," Troy nodded. He stared at the dusty floor, heat rising to his face. "I heard you helped the school win the Scholastic Decathlon. You are their best." He would read about her in the school newspaper, as well as the town's. _

_Gabriella blushed bashfully, anxiously chewing on the insides of her cheeks and playing with her fingers. "Thanks." _

_Troy's eyes flickered to Gabriella's, and then he slowly leaned against the lockers next to her. _

_A comfortable silence ensued between them. _

_Troy's eyes leapt around the hallway, taking in the leaking water fountain, the crammed lockers, the flyers…. His heart faltered in his chest as he came across one that announced the dance. _

_Oh, right. The dance. _

_East High was having a moonlit dance. They were holding it outside on the football field under the stars. Troy couldn't help but think how cheesy it was, but at the same time, he was desperate to go. But not with Eve, his girlfriend. With Gabriella. But he couldn't ask her. He couldn't. It was against the strict hierarchy of the school. _

_His hands were clamming just thinking about it. _

Man up, Bolton_, a sharp voice snapped in his brain. _Just ask her out. Get it over with and enjoy yourself there.

_But he couldn't. He simply couldn't._

_He could feel Gabriella's absorbed eyes attached to him, but he didn't feel conscious. Instead, his head swiveled around, his eyes connecting with hers instantly. Gabriella's jaw dropped open in a gape at the raw intensity of their gazes, the air thickening around them all at once. And then Troy moved, his head tilting towards hers. And then his lips were on hers. They were just like she remembered them—warm and soft and wet. They were patient and careful against her own mouth, gingerly coaxing her lips open and sneaking his tongue inside her cavernous mouth. Sparks erupted everywhere, and the powerful passion vibrating erratically between them was electric. He curiously explored her for some time before he reluctantly pulled away, his fingers that were wrapped around her own tiny ones retracting as well. She heard the nearing footsteps some seconds later. _

Memories of Troy sighed despairingly within her. Remembering the glorious basketball captain made her heart swarm with warmth and levitate inside of her.

It was continually hard for Gabriella to forget Troy. She knew it would be. She had tried, and then after some time with no success, she'd plainly given up. She allowed herself to get lost in the few cherished recollections she had of him.

Her senior year seemed to be lacking a certain crucial ingredient—and whenever she thought of Troy, she remembered: love.

* * *

Troy was all over the place.

When Gabriella had left for California over the summer, his heart had involuntarily emptied half of itself. To fill the other half again, he was frequently womanizing. Dating, flirting, sleeping around…. He was constantly experimenting with women, desperately trying to find another Gabriella. So far, he had had no success. In this interminable quest to find another Gabriella, he had gotten Zoë Belgium pregnant. Zoë Belgium was a bubbly, averagely pretty girl who talked fast and a lot and loved to socialize. He'd dated Zoë briefly; roughly for a handful of weeks starting just days after Gabriella had left in June after school had ended, their relationship containing no genuine content. Zoë wasn't the cheerleader type, surprisingly; she was the perfect model type. She was in that closely connected group of cutesy, flawlessly groomed girls with matching ornamented sweaters and small exclusive St. Valentine's Day parties and childish friendship pacts and Secret Santa within their lunch table during the holidays. She was the one who brought homemade cinnamon cookies to lunch and kindly shared them with the whole cafeteria. She was the one with straight A's and all the school's track records. She was the one that charmed all the teachers and even some of the other blinded students. She was the one who was viewed as a teacher's pet and goody-two-shoes, although in reality, she was not at all off school grounds. Her group was significantly high on the popularity scale, and received considerable amounts of respect from everyone.

Troy had nearly fainted when he'd found out that Zoë was pregnant with his child. The worst part was that he had discovered this from one of Zoë's clique mates, Lilah Jessup, in a brisk confrontation after he'd strolled out of the men's room. When Lilah had glimpsed the astonished contorted expression that had been slapped to Troy's red face, she had tranquilly and helpfully suggested he drink some water. Troy had wanted to smack her for her unsuitable calmness. His parents had separated soon after Gabriella's departure, and his father had gone off to live in Miami. His mother, however, had generously understood given the circumstances and fully supported Troy in whatever he decided to do. It was _his_ life, after all.

Zoë was due in a week and was ridiculously irritable. Troy was honestly not there for her often. He had promised her he would be present for the birth, and Zoë seemed satisfied with that. Both privately knew that Zoë would take the baby after school was over, and Troy would probably not see the child again. Troy was strangely numb throughout all of this. It was as if it was too surreal for him to feel anything; someone had turned that switch off inside of him. The switch that enabled him to feel.

Troy slammed the sleek door of his car shut, striding over to the front door of his house and fumbling with his keys when his phone began to ring. He quickly forgot about his keys and attended to his phone, just in case it was Zoë. It was.

"Hey, Troy?" Zoë's sharp voice whined touchily.

"Yeah?" Troy responded back dryly. He was so bored of this.

"Can you come over?" Zoë whimpered weakly.

"Are you in labor?"

"No, but I feel like we never spend any time together." Troy could just picture Zoë's pleading, pouting face.

Troy sighed.

"I need help with my homework," Zoë insisted lamely. "I don't understand the assignment Sapp gave us. It's in your field of expertise."

Troy sighed again, and then caved.

Troy was always a bit astounded at how large Zoë was whenever he visited her. She was like the size of a whale or something. She was reclining sluggishly on the plush sofa in her living room, a textbook resting against her spherical stomach.

"Hey," Zoë greeted him smoothly upon hearing the creak of the door that signaled his arrival.

"Hey," Troy choked out awkwardly.

Zoë carelessly tossed the covered textbook to the side and eased herself up into a sitting position with some difficulty. Troy gracelessly sat down next to her, picking up the textbook she had only just put down and surveying its content.

"I don't understand what we have to do," Zoë fibbed sloppily. She gazed earnestly at his deep blue eyes, falling into them. She missed him terribly.

Troy began to explain what the project was about, and the whole time, he could feel Zoë's fixed eyes on him. It was honestly unnerving, and he felt unusual and awkward under their keen watch. He swore she was inching towards him with every word he spoke. Within a few minutes, their hips were brushing. Troy wanted to get out. Now. But before he could, Zoë's lips had landed fiercely on his. They were clumsy and desperate and greedy, and he immediately pushed her away.

"Zoë! What the fuck are you doing?" Troy fumed heatedly, running his fingers shakily through his ruffled hair. "I'm dating Cass Montoya now."

"I know, I know, but…" Zoë bit her lip guiltily. She put her hands on her bloated stomach consciously.

"What?" Troy raged impatiently. His face was flushed bright red. "I can't even begin to explain to you how fucking stupid that was of you!"

Zoë recoiled fearfully on the couch, her glassy green eyes shining with fresh tears. She twirled a strand of brown hair between her spidery fingers, biting her lip hard enough so it began to leak with coppery blood. Troy wanted to holler and yell and scream at her more, but he knew it was dangerous in so many ways. He managed to simmer his boiling fury, and shakily stood. His hands clenched into fists, trying to suppress his burgeoning anger. He knew Zoë was playing innocent, although she very well wasn't, and that was what got him the angriest.

"I've got to go now, okay?" Troy muttered thoughtlessly, not waiting to exchange farewells and scampering away to his truck.

They avoided each other at school and didn't see each other again until the baby was born two weeks later. Troy had gotten a frenzied call from her, and she had been hysterically sobbing, her pungent voice muffled as she shrieked into the receiver of her phone that she needed a ride to the hospital. Troy had never seen her this way. She was scared to death over the experience more than anything. The shadowy streets had been stuffed with traffic because of a winter storm booming madly outside, and Zoë had been frantic that they wouldn't make it in time. Troy assured her they would, and was honestly surprised when they did. Troy sat beside her bed at the hospital, waiting and bored. Zoë refused to touch him, and refused for him to touch her. She was glum and drowsy in the bed, pouting miserably and relentlessly droning on for her dear parents and older sister. They were stuck in traffic, and never did make it in time. They were only waiting for maybe six minutes at the hospital when the doctor advised Zoë it was time. This had only made her more scared. It was a pathetic sight watching her push, and after a lousy half hour, she gave up and begged for a C-section. The doctor willingly agreed, and at eight pounds and three ounces, Troy's first son was born at 8:32 pm on February twenty-eighth. Troy let Zoë name him. She named him Logan and gave the boy her last name. Troy didn't care at all about that.

He wondered to himself what Gabriella would think upon hearing that he had a child now. Even though their encounters and interactions had been brief, they had been symbolical and meaningful. They were moments in his life that he would never ever forget. There were some that in particular stood out. Like that afternoon he had taken away Gabriella's virginity.

_Troy flopped over onto the other side of the mattress, breathing relatively hard. He heard Gabriella beside him, breathing harder than he was. _

_"Do you have sex often?" Gabriella asked curiously. It was an extremely personal question, yet Troy didn't mind answering it. _

_"Hmm…yeah," Troy admitted a bit guiltily. His face reddened some at this. _

_"Oh," Gabriella whispered faintly. _

_"But this was the best time for me," Troy confessed quickly. "It's never felt like this before." _

_"In what way?" Gabriella inquired curiously. She felt strangely comfortable with this boy from her school._

_"I'm not completely sure," Troy declared smoothly. "I mean…I don't know, I think that you're just different from other people I've had sex with." _

_"Oh," Gabriella plainly replied, thinking about the stereotypical kinds of girls Troy generally would have sex with. _

_"I think that was amazing though," Troy whispered. "Really." _

_"I think so, too," Gabriella agreed keenly. "It wasn't as bad as people warned me." _

_"Yeah," Troy chuckled softly. He slowly dragged his index finger up her bare stomach and she sucked in a deep breath. _

_"Hey…do you know anyone I can go out with?" Gabriella mumbled, slightly embarrassed._

_Troy laughed gently. "No, not really anyone that's your type." _

_"My type?" _

_"Yeah, your type." _

_"So I have a type?" _

_"Everyone has a type." _

_"Like your type is the cheerleader type, right?" _

_Troy looked very uncomfortable at this sentence and Gabriella instantly regretted her words. _

_"I didn't mean it like that," Gabriella insisted, her smoky brown eyes widening. "I just mean that…I didn't mean to make assumptions like that…o-or…" _

_"It's okay," Troy covered quietly. A small smiled formed on his face._

_Gabriella was motionless and serene beside him. Troy looped an arm around her waist and hesitantly tugged her petite figure closer to his. Gabriella timidly pressed her steamy palm to his own burning chest, feeling the small beads of perspiration transferring onto her skin. She smiled softly to herself, and Troy caught that tentative smile, suddenly finding himself admiring it. She was positively glowing, and he wanted to watch her glow forever._

He chuckled to himself now, thinking how clumsy and inconsiderate and careless they had been. If only he knew how their clumsiness and inconsideration and carelessness would recur in the time to follow.

_

* * *

_

Gabriella had gradually morphed into a quiet girl. Not shy or timid or apprehensive, but she was more on the quiet side. Yet at the same time, she was still the bold, fearless girl she had been at East High with a hidden attitude that she learned guys found sexy. It seemed to be a mind-boggling mix to most.

Gabriella stopped at her locker before Spanish class, depositing her math textbook and replacing it with her Spanish things. She smiled to herself as she felt a monstrously burly figure towering over her, two large hands placing themselves on her curved hips.

"Hey," the low voice whispered, his coarse lips brushing her ear for just a moment.

Gabriella giggled delicately and calmly shut her locker closed before whirling around in his sturdy arms. His thick fingers twined behind her back, pushing her closer to his massively bulky form.

"Hey, Brett," Gabriella smirked slyly to him, tugging his green T-shirt playfully. Brett was a dark-haired, dark-skinned athlete who was the biggest and most feared guy in the entire school. He seemed like a ruthless giant in contrast to the miniature and fragile Gabriella. It always seemed like he'd crush her with his huge disc-sized hands, but he hadn't. Yet.

Brett pushed his crude lips up to Gabriella velvety ones, tangling his broad fingers in her long flowing curls. Gabriella had gone crazy with her beautiful hair, experimentally dying it constantly every few months. The current color of the month: an earsplitting, ferocious scarlet that terrified nearly anyone who saw it at first. Guy of the month: Brett Little. And as Alisa, Gabriella's closest friend, teasingly joked often, "Sex position of the month?" Gabriella would participate lightheartedly and respond with various answers.

Brett wrapped an arm around Gabriella's tiny torso and guided her through the dense crowd in the hallway. They sat down at their usual seats in the back of the room, furtively torturing each other with their fingers while Mr. Jimenez lectured monotonously in front of the class.

Gabriella bit over a giggle as Brett rubbed his ankle up and down her bare calf, wiggling his eyebrows at her. She replied by tickling his back as they tried to complete an exercise, and he shuddered under her careful touch. Gabriella had yet to respond the same way to _his _touch. She hadn't felt those special sparks since Troy. When would she find it again?

When Spanish class finished, so had the day; Brett, as usual, whispered something to her before they departed to their lockers. Then, as she routinely did almost everyday, Gabriella met him at his polished Corvette like he'd asked her to, waiting a few minutes before he finally emerged from the building. As he came closer, Gabriella was sure she saw him wipe his mouth. Once he was standing in front of her, she was sure she could distinguish traces of ruby lipstick. But she didn't give it another thought, not wanting to preoccupy herself.

Brett hadn't been driving for long when he halted the ostentatious sports car in his driveway, a long and wide pavement that wrapped around his house and stopped in his backyard. They were shielded from the street, and no one could see them. Brett took advantage of this and immediately launched his lips onto her. He seemed especially urgent and greedy with need today. Gabriella giggled softly and responded with less eagerness, her arms slithering around his neck. They kissed fiercely, unafraid to engage tongue into the equation, their hands roaming aimlessly everywhere. Brett sucked selfishly at the silky skin of her neck, and Gabriella dragged her fingers tantalizingly down his rippling muscles. She suddenly found her back horizontal with the glossy leather seats of the car, Brett on top of her. She'd been with Brett for perhaps two weeks or so, and they'd never gone beyond make out sessions but twice. She was not nervous; just curiosity sizzled inside her brain as she watched him unzip his shorts, pulling out his stiffened member in between them. Gabriella swiftly lifted up her jade miniskirt and let him tease her playfully before pulling down her panties. Before she knew it, the hefty football player was inside of her and lurching on top of her. When she finally struck her peak, she hugged herself and squeezed her eyes shut, staring up at the ceiling until it was over. Brett had met his climax some time before she had, and remained silent above her. His breath was hot and steamed her skin, and she suddenly felt nauseatingly claustrophobic under his alarmingly heavy weight in the car.

"That was good," Gabriella remarked breathily in between the noise of their pants.

Brett didn't respond, lifting his body up off of her. Gabriella felt a wave of relief as the weight was raised from her, but all of a sudden, Brett plunged into her again. And again. And again and again and again. Gabriella couldn't believe the pain that coursed rapidly through her. The Latino beauty had never seen Brett behave so roughly—he held her firmly by the shoulders, his nails digging into her soft skin and leaving scars, not letting her move. The pain Gabriella felt only augmented further with each thrust into her, and she bit her lip, trying not to cry out. She instinctively knew that if she did, she would also have to endure the punishment from Brett that ensued. Brett propelled himself into her with such unprecedented force and raw craving, and he had to press Gabriella flat on the seat so she wouldn't budge. He purposefully put his whole weight entirely on her, overlooking the blistering tears that burned her dejected, regretful eyes. He heard her whimper weakly somewhere in the distance of his mind, but he brushed it away. He had to get what he wanted. He knew whatever relationship they had had would be over when he was done, but he didn't care. Molly Matthews was waiting for him anyway.

When he was done, he removed himself from her and readjusted himself inside his shorts. He coldly gave permission for Gabriella to sit up in her seat, and she did so, slouching against the tinted window fearfully. Tears welled up silently inside her big brown eyes and blurred her vision, but they didn't dare stream down. She felt so sore. Sore like she had never been so before. She noticed she was bleeding, and this only made her heart ache further. She could feel Brett's merciless eyes boring into her hard, his expression warped into a pitiless, coldhearted snarl.

Gabriella Montez had been tricked and fooled, once again.


	3. Slowing Down?

**A/N: Wow, I'm so pleasantly surprised that my fic was chosen as FanFiction of the week at ZAAngels! Thank you so so so much to whomever chose it! I'm just so honored...I've said it before, but only because it's the only thing that comes to mind at a speechless time like this. That really made my week, and I had quite the horrible week. So thank you so much, I truly appreciate it. :D **

**Thank you to Cassie Faith, lovelylauren10, ikayleighhx, JennCorinthos, zanessastoriesbyme, OnceAWildcatAlwaysAWildcat, smartgirl231814, vanessalillymontez, Kessy0105, CatchingLightningx, Tomato sauce lover, Midnight113, KKK-DouBle-KaeKae, vanilla902, magaret09, and runninequalslife for reviewing the last chapter! All of you submitted wonderful reviews; thank you so much! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Disney or High School Musical and am in no way affiliated with it. **

* * *

She couldn't believe it when she saw it.

No. It couldn't be. But he looked exactly the same.

That brown hair, those rich blue eyes…. She'd never be able to forget his enchanting appearance.

So why was she second-guessing herself when she saw him that summer before college?

Maybe because they were next to the middle of nowhere in Mexico.

She squinted her eyes again, just to be sure.

Could it be? Could that really be Troy Bolton?

The more she looked and scrutinized, the more she was convinced.

Yes, it had to be Troy Bolton.

He was dawdling aimlessly about the shore of the empty beach, distractedly kicking the sand with his naked feet and splashing the water about.

The sky was rather overcast that day in particular, but that hadn't stopped either of them from taking a stroll out to the beach. But, they were the only ones there.

Gabriella felt her heart thump nervously in her chest now as she thought about confronting him, her knees wobbling weakly. She had to go up there and greet him. She had to. She took apprehensive steps towards him, and he seemed to notice her presence. He cocked his head up from the sand and grinned almost hesitantly at her, his eyes gleaming as they always had.

"Hey," Gabriella whispered in the lightest voice he had ever heard. She sounded like some ethereal angel.

"Hey," Troy breathed out, finally jerking his limbs. He had been as still as a statue just moments before, stunned by how she had grown. "You look…wow."

Gabriella inwardly blushed, fingering a lock of dyed hair in between her fingers. "Yeah?" She was told about her beauty countless times a day, from all sorts of people, but when Troy said it…it was different. It just was, and she couldn't explain it. Her heart swelled and hammered harder inside of her chest, and she was near bursting.

"How've you…been?"

"Fine."

"You?" It came out almost as a soft whisper from her mouth.  
"Yeah."

"You mean, 'yeah, I'm fine'?"

"Yeah, yeah, that's what I meant."

Troy shook the shaggy hair out of his mesmerizing eyes and flashed her one of his gorgeous smiles. This time she blushed on the outside too.

"Here, I want to show you a place," Troy murmured, reaching for her hand and warming it with his wordlessly. He tugged her gently towards their destination, his heart fluttering with every giggle Gabriella could not control behind him. Their muscles burned as their legs fought against the deep sand, pushing onward across the beach.

"What?" Gabriella asked abruptly after hearing Troy mumble something incoherent under his breath.

"No, I just swear you get more beautiful with every day I don't see you," Troy muttered embarrassedly in all one exhale. It was so adorable how he got embarrassed, his cheeks reddening some.

"I—thank you," Gabriella whispered, almost inaudibly. But Troy heard it.

He led her to an old wooden shed—it was so beautifully quiet there, and it sat peacefully in the shade of a tree.

"So…what are you doing here? In Mexico?" Troy asked out of the blue, opening the ancient door of the shed with a loud creak and letting her enter first.

"Um," Gabriella felt stupid blushing again, "I'm staying with my grandmother here for the summer. She was busy today and let me have the day to myself." There was a pause. Gabriella leaned against an unsteady wall of the shed apprehensively, her fingers feeling splinters from the wood. "You?"

"Uh…" Troy ran his fingers through his hair, staring at the floor. "I was at this…basketball camp."  
"Yeah? Really? That sounds cool," Gabriella nodded politely and smiled pleasantly. Then she stopped. Something was wrong. "Wait a second…_was_?"

"Yeah, I…escaped." Troy winced and glanced up at her with a pale face. It was too adorable to get angry at.

"W-well…_why_?" Gabriella spluttered numbly, not understanding why he would do that. Shortly after leaving high school, she had come to Mexico and her grandmother had led her to understand many things. Why had she been so secretly rebellious those last two years? _Why_? There was no point for it. She wasn't going to college because she had been with that whole 'rebellious bold sexy' act. She was jobless, broke, and alone. Look where she had gotten herself. She just wanted to forget all of her previous embarrassing behavior and move on in life. She just had to. She was going to follow the rules strictly from now on, she had ceremoniously decided; no more fooling around. She could not afford to screw up again.

"I just—I didn't like it," Troy sighed. His eyes drifted around the small room and Gabriella followed his eyes.

There were bags thrown about, clothes spilling from some of them. There was a sleeping bag pushed to the corner of the room.

"You don't mean—"

"—No, I am," Troy interjected brusquely, his tone firm. "Just until my plane leaves back home on Friday."

Gabriella had nothing to say. "You're crazy," she finally muttered.

"Why, thank you."

"No, Troy. I'm serious. Why don't you stay with my grandmother and I until your plane leaves?"

"No one can know I'm not at the basketball camp. Hell, I'm not even going back _home_. I'm going to Rachel's house in Indiana."

"Rachel…?" That name did not ring a bell for Gabriella.

"Yeah. My older sister. She lives in Indiana with her husband, Luke the Architect, and their two kids, Riley and Erin." Troy smiled coolly, squinting in the light of the sun that came through the windows. He said it so calmly, like it was not a big deal.

"And what about your parents?"

"They'll never know I left. I faked sick and I had someone and pretend to be my mom and sign a paper letting me go home."

"Holy shit."

"You do what you have to do."

"I—wow."

Troy hesitated, his voice cracking. "Y-yeah."

The atmosphere was unbearably thick. She swore she could see her breath in the hot summer air, and her skin was sweating like crazy. Troy was jittery, unable to stop ogling at the beauty before him. How had he ever been apart from her?

"So what's new with you?" Gabriella asked, tentatively pacing over to him and sitting next to him. She distanced herself cautiously at a good three feet away.

"I, uh…I'm going to college," Troy announced. Gabriella couldn't decide what his tone was. It sounded like a forced sort of proud. Like he knew he should've been proud, but he just wasn't excited for it.

"Congratulations." Gabriella feigned a smile, although she felt a nauseating stab in her heart as she said so. _She _should have been the one attending college in a mere month or two. But she didn't have the money anyway. "Where?"  
"University of Albuquerque," Troy mumbled lazily, this time obviously not proud. "I got a, uh, scholarship."

"Wow. For basketball?" She was so maddeningly envious that he was going to college that she couldn't even explain it. Her stomach was churning with every passing second, her face burning as heated thoughts reeled in her mind.

"Yeah," Troy responded uneasily. He seemed uncomfortable and wiggled in his seat.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine."

Gabriella wasn't convinced, but Troy continued talking quickly.

"And you? What are you up to?" Troy benevolently asked. He did indeed seem very curious.

"I'm not sure," Gabriella embarrassedly replied, her beautifully sculpted face flushing. She glanced at the dirty wooden floor. "I, uh…I'm not going to college and I don't have much money…. All I have is my grandfather's old apartment in New York City. He just d-died and…he left it for me." Her velvety voice waned at the end, and she tried her hardest not to let tears seep into her voice. The last thing she needed was for Troy to feel sorry for her and act sympathetic towards her.

"I'm so sorry," Troy whispered in a soft voice, his eyes careful as they stared at her brown eyes, which were turned away.

"It's fine. I think it's going to be okay. I'm going to take all the money I have and move there, to New York City. I think I'm going to try modeling or something. I just need the money. I don't know…I know a girl there who said she could get me a waitress job."

Troy's throat felt heavy. Here he was, not very eager about going to college while it was obvious Gabriella would give anything in the world to go. "I have some money," Troy hoarsely stated. "I could—"

"—God, no," Gabriella quickly interrupted him. "Oh, please no. That's for you, and you only. I'll be perfectly fine."

There was a perturbed silence that filled the shed.

The three windows on three of the four walls were uncovered and allowed the sun to simply pour through, filling the shed with yellow light. Troy could hear the oceans' waves gently lapping up onto the sandy shore, somewhere in the distance.

"So…how's Logan?" Gabriella asked, fondly remembering Troy's tiny little son.

"Yeah…he's so big now," Troy recalled dotingly, staring glassily out the window. His cyan eyes seemed so faraway, deep in concentrated thought that Gabriella wouldn't dare disrupt.

"Do you see him a lot?" Gabriella asked this very apprehensively.

"Not that often, but I try," Troy sighed dejectedly. He felt sick at just thinking about the next part. He begged God that Gabriella would not ask or their conversation would not lead to that one disturbing topic.

"Are you…dating anybody?" She inquired this considerately, as if she were contemplating something.

"Uh…well, I _was _just dating this girl who worked at the basketball camp I was at," Troy mumbled, quite embarrassed, "but I broke up with her before I left."

Gabriella felt her cheeks grow even hotter, and it hurt to look at him. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. She wasn't all that great."

For some reason, Gabriella felt even worse after hearing that report.

"So…you? Any boyfriends or…?"

Now it was Gabriella's turn in the spotlight.

"Uh…yeah, I'm…en-engaged," Gabriella shakily replied.

"Oh," Troy gulped forcibly, stunned at the news. He had to curl his hands into tight fists to stop himself from hitting something. "Yeah…that's great. Congrats."

"Thank you," Gabriella replied, suddenly so timid. She shrunk in her position, her cheeks flooding with rosy color.

Gabriella eyes fluttered close. The heat felt strangely good on her face, and so did Troy's warm breaths. She felt his lips smush up against her cheek, and everything in the world around her seemed to freeze.

"Troy…" she grunted, her strained voice struggling to project itself out of her mouth.

"Don't say…anything…" Troy trailed off dazedly, pressing a short kiss to the corner of her mouth. His lips just barely touched hers.

"I have to," Gabriella whispered faintly, her mind fuzzy now as Troy's arm encircled her middle back and pressed her figure to his. Troy turned to fully face her, shoving his nose into her black mane of hair, nudging her ear through it. He breathed in deeply, intoxicated by the signature scent he had missed so much.

"God," Troy huffed out huskily, grasping her bare knee now. "I missed your smell."

Gabriella was telling herself no…she was telling herself no, over and over, but it wasn't working. _No…no…no…_but she felt dizzy and couldn't find the rationality in her hazed brain to yell it out, aloud. All the emotions were spinning around her at once, evilly coaxing her to give up and give in to Troy's obvious quest. He wanted to make love with her one "last" time, and she knew it. With her eyes closed, she still knew every place where he was. She could feel his nose at her jaw, his lips at her neck, sucking away. She could feel one hand at her hip, his thumb under her shirt and rubbing the protruding bone; the other hand at her neck, massaging the nape of it as if whispering, 'Just let yourself do what you want. You know you want it. Make love with me…stop fighting it….'

Eventually, she did.

She only felt the guilt when she tiptoed into her grandmother's house that night. Her grandmother was sitting in the armchair in her living room, nimbly repairing a frayed tablecloth with her sewing needles. She peered up at Gabriella the moment she had paced into the room, her breath held captive. Penelope had stopped her sewing and sighed, as if disappointed.

That was when the guilt slammed into her. She had a fiancé waiting for her at home; he wasn't the greatest guy, but he didn't deserve to be cheated on. And what was worse…she had her own son to take care of at home. She had betrayed him, too. She felt guilty for leaving him alone with his father for two months, but she had needed the time to clear her head. Her fiancé Pete had encouraged her to go to Mexico, to go back to her roots and rediscover herself. And well, it had worked, no matter how hard it was to leave her son at home. And her grandmother; she was going to have to lie to her too. What was she again, an unreliable liar like she had been before? She had only disgraced herself.

"I'm sorry, _abuela_," Gabriella apologized after a tense beat. "I was so carried away by the city…"

Penelope sighed tiredly again. "I was worried about you. Go to bed, and please don't let that happen again. I don't care much for excuses."

Gabriella couldn't have been more grateful for her grandmother. She had been expecting much worse.

And yet, that didn't stop her from reconciling with Troy every day for the rest of the week. She couldn't help herself; the way he made her smile and laugh at everything. He made her feel genuinely happy again, from the inside to the out. She knew it was wrong on so many levels, but it didn't _feel _wrong anymore. How could feeling so happy be _wrong_?

The last day he was there, Friday, was one that both were determined not to make tearful. They spent the day at the beach, although for the second unusual time, the weather was not pretty. But they made the most of their time together. Gabriella wished she could go to the airport with him, but obviously, she couldn't. The tears spilled down her cheeks when the beaten taxi pulled up, and Troy gathered her into his burly arms and kissed them all away.

"I'll call you," he promised.

"You don't have my number."

"Tell me it now."

"You won't remember it."

"How can I ever forget something as important as your phone number?"

Gabriella managed a giggle through the streams of tears that poured down her angelic face, repeating her cell phone number to him.

"You have a special place in my heart," Troy murmured against her lips before finally pulling away, smiling at her and winking at her one last time before loading his last suitcase and sliding into the car. He was gazing at her, their eyes connected, as the cab drove away, and Gabriella couldn't help the tears that flowed down her face when the car finally disappeared from view.

* * *

_He just had to ask her. Without even thinking. _

_Troy vacuumed in a deep breath and told his heart to stop thrashing around so wildly like it was. But it didn't. It only pounded harder against his chest. _Breathe, Bolton….

_She was standing right there, her slender arms crossed over her middle consciously. Her mocha eyes were alight, her teeth so flawlessly white, her hair glinting white in the full moon that reigned above them…. She simply was perfect. _

_Troy took two steps forward and then stopped. The air thickened around him and all oxygen in the world disappeared. But as his eyes lingered on her ungodly shape, and how her eyes fluttered so beautifully from the grass to the blue, blue sky, he knew there was no way in hell he could back out now. He took five more steps and then six more, and suddenly he was standing behind her. _

_"Hey," he breathed out anxiously, trying to catch her attention. _

_Gabriella whirled around at once, her midnight hair windswept from the autumn breezes outside. "Hey," she replied buoyantly with a shy smile, trying to mask the excitement that bounced inside of her. She couldn't show how much she truly wanted Troy. They were in different leagues now, anyway, besides the fact that both were involved in separate relationships. _

_"Hey." _

_"You said that already," Gabriella giggled timidly. _

_"Uh…yeah," Troy mumbled, his cheeks reddening to Gabriella's delight. "So…wanna dance?" _

_Gabriella looked over her shoulder to where her date stood, dancing with another redheaded girl. He wouldn't mind if Troy borrowed her for just the second. He probably wouldn't even notice. His eyes were on that girl, and that girl only. Gabriella knew that he had only asked her because the redhead _he _really wanted to go out with already had a steady boyfriend. _

_"Yeah, yeah, definitely," Gabriella responded after a thoughtful moment. "Wait a second…where's Eve? I thought you came with her…?" _

_Troy's teeth grated together. "Uh, yeah. We broke up." _

_"I'm so sorry…" Gabriella didn't know what else to say. She knew that he didn't take girls seriously. That was another thing that scared her about him. Another reason she always backed away from a "real", labeled relationship with him. _

_"Nah, it's okay." _

_He took her waist and guided her out further to the dancing area. The grade was clustered in the center of the football field under the blanket of sky, the chilly night brilliant with stars and the moon. It was truly was a magnificent sight, and not a single student of East High dared to miss the event. _

_Troy couldn't believe he was actually slowdancing with Gabriella. His heart continued to thump nervously in his chest, and with each careful step he took, making sure not to step on her tiny, easily overlookable feet, his heart only hammered harder. When would it stop? He didn't know, but he _did _know that he never wanted it to. _

_Gabriella was sure that her nervousness was evident. She couldn't stop staring dreamily at him, collapsing underneath his own intense gaze. It made her question herself: _why _wasn't she with him? The way that he brushed a curl from her eyes made her knees wobble in weakness. She was stripped of strength when he was around her, his fingers so subtly rubbing circles on the small of her back. _

_Troy gradually tugged her in closer, breathing hot onto her neck. Gabriella could feel his tough heartbeat against her bare clavicle as their skin finally touched, sparks shooting up and down her chest and arms. Just everywhere. Her mind was fogging up and she felt high. She couldn't think or breathe or anything. It was as simple as that. Troy knew that every little thing he did was crucial, and she would notice. His warm cheek pressed against her jaw, and his lips very briefly contacted with her neck. And then he pulled back and smiled at her and moved his mouth. _

_"What?" Gabriella muttered confusedly. _

_"I said that the song is over," Troy repeated, trying so hard to keep the disappointment out of his voice. His hands finally dropped from her waist, though reluctantly. "You should probably go back to Doug now." Troy threw a dirty glance at Gabriella's date, flirting shamelessly with the redheaded girl. Troy tilted his body away from her, signaling he was going to leave. It pained him the way Gabriella's face avalanched, not wanting to let Troy go. _

_"Troy, we can dance another—"_

_"—No, we better not," Troy huskily said, eyeing Doug all the while. Doug at this point was already making his way over to them. Troy blubbered the next part very quickly. "I guess I'll see you later then?" _

_"Yeah," Gabriella just barely managed to squeeze in before Troy rambled again. _

_"Yeah? Yeah, okay, great. Bye." _

_With that, Troy briskly hustled away, Doug replacing his exact spot just seconds later. Gabriella felt a sharp wrench in her chest, almost frightened by Doug's sudden appearance. _

_"Who was that?" Doug demanded gruffly. _

_"No idea," Gabriella fibbed expertly, the rhythm of her heart increasing in speed all the same. "Just came up to me and started talking away." _

_Doug looked suspiciously around him for a moment, and then satisfied, swept Gabriella closer to him for a dance that would last the remainder of the moonlit gathering. _

_

* * *

_

A year had passed, and Gabriella had found herself a balanced job. Alisa, her old friend from California, had inherited a line of high-end fashion boutiques. Gabriella, promptly after arriving in New York City alone after dumping fiancé and with a young child, had been more than desperate to find a job. To her immense luck, she had bumped into Alisa at a coffee shop and Alisa, pitying her but also trusting her former best friend and recognizing Gabriella's talents, gifted her a job involving the boutique. And what was that? She, alongside a few other brilliant employees, designed the company's clothing. At first, Gabriella was oblivious to how she would complete the job. She knew nothing about fashion, and knew Alisa had taken a great risk on hiring her. But, like Alisa knew she would, Gabriella had quickly learned the ropes. She was still quite the amateur, but was getting closer and closer to creating genius material every day. And with this, their business was expanding. More shops were opening everywhere, and Gabriella felt pure pride pulsing in her heart to know that she had contributed to this success.

"You know, in the drawing it looked much better," Cynthia, Gabriella's coworker, sighed disappointedly as she sized up a new outfit on an expressionless mannequin.

"Yeah, I agree," Gabriella nodded, dropping her pen onto the desk. "Okay, then scratch that idea."

"Well, what's the new idea? I really didn't think that was so bad," Katie, another designer, fought as politely as she could muster.

"We can't put something out there that's 'not so bad,'" Gabriella reasoned, picking up her pen again. She grew frustrated easily sometimes. "We need something amazing. A good solid idea. This was obviously not one of them."

"I disagree."

"Well, we all have to agree on something."

"We can compromise."

"Let's just see what else we come up with first, okay? What's the harm in that?" Gabriella sighed. Sometimes the other women could be so stubborn and unreasonable, and she was sick of it.

"It wastes time!"

"It won't be a time waster if it's a _fantastic idea_!" Gabriella pressed on again, clicking her pen and beginning to anxiously doodle on her pad of paper. Her coworkers glared at her ferociously, and Gabriella wriggled uncomfortably in her seat. "You know what? I just need to breathe. I'm going home. It's late anyway." Gabriella piled up her stuff in her arms and swiftly absented the room before anyone could object.

When she entered her cozy little flat, her hushed son was waiting for her.

"Thank you, Rosa!" Gabriella fondly hugged the plump woman who watched her two-year-old everyday. "How was he today?"

"Well-behaved, as always," chuckled the old woman. She sluggishly pulled on her coat that had been hooked in the closet near the door, her wrinkled hands tired.

"Wait, Rosa," Gabriella said after scooping up a quiet Bennett in her slim arms. "I need to pay you…"

"It's okay, honey," Rosa smiled softly before waddling through the door. "No need."

"No, I insist!"

"Next week, then."

Gabriella watched as the gray-haired woman tottered down the hall, and she closed the door after her. Bennett gurgled happily in her arms. Gabriella smiled at him and pressed a sweet kiss into his black hair.

This was always her favorite part of the day.

It didn't matter if she had "ruined" her life. She was doing okay. She really was. Her job paid pretty well (and only got better), and she had her son, who was more than she could ask for. She dated occasionally, but she was fine if she didn't. She could just live her life calmly. It seemed that finally, things had slowed down and would be okay forevermore.


	4. Keep Moving On

**A/N: So there are going to be TONS of parallels between Troy's and Gabriella's lives...actually, that's really what this is. Showing the different parallels and similarities in between their individual lives. You'll see.... I know their lives sound chaotic, but if they weren't, this story would be awfully boring, now wouldn't it? I've got to shock you sometimes. **

**Thanks tons to pandora147 and runninequalslife for helping out with this chapter. Kelly, you always give amazing points, and Dani, you really helped me realize some things and look at things differently. Thanks so much! I love you guys!**

**Thank you to Clembo29, JennCorinthos, xxTwilightHSMxx, smartgirl231814, .lov3, CassieFaith, runninequalslife, Midnight113, KKK-DouBle-KaeKae, and CatchingLightningx for all reviewing! You guys rock! :D**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Disney or High School Musical and am in no way affiliated with it. **

* * *

Troy Bolton was on television.

He couldn't believe it. He was actually on TV.

Gabriella Montez couldn't believe it either. Troy Bolton was dribbling a basketball across her TV screen!

Gabriella stopped frozen, dropping two mismatched socks onto her lap.

Troy Bolton had been drafted to the Lakers, and there he was, scoring so many points for his favorite team in the world.

Gabriella continued to watch with her eyes bulging as Troy sprinted across the court with the ball, dodging his opponents and finally shooting the basketball at the hoop. It swiftly slid in, and the avid onlookers cheered. Gabriella didn't know much about basketball, but she knew that Troy was leading his team to victory already.

Gabriella felt giddy. He'd accomplished what he'd wanted. He'd achieved his dream.

She was twenty-four and she still wasn't sure what she wanted. She knew she wanted her family more than anything, but career wise, she was beginning to grow bored of designing. She only continued to do it for the money.

Bennett tugged at the hem of her skirt below her.

"What, sweetie?"

"Mommy, I really want to watch cartoons now."

Gabriella smiled softly at her son and ran her fingers through his soft hair.

"Okay, honey. What do you want to watch?"

Bennett flopped onto the couch and grinned. Gabriella flicked the TV on to Sesame Street.

"Is this okay?" she asked.

"Yes, Mommy."

It still made her heart warm; just to hear him speak that way to her.

John strode into the room and encircled his arm around her waist immediately. His face buried into her raven hair, and she kissed his cheek where her lips fell.

"Hey. Feeling okay?" John asked concernedly, his fingers ghosting over the bump beneath her shirt.

"Fine. Who was that on the phone?"

"My mother. My sister's graduating college, so you know, I've got to go up to Massachusetts soon to be there…" John peppered kisses to her lips, smiling. "Oh, and also…she wants to meet you."

"Your mother?"

"Uh…yeah." John's cheeks flushed.

Gabriella looked uneasy, her facial expression contorting. She slipped out of John's grasp, sitting down next to Bennett on the couch. "Yeah, I'm not sure that's the best idea."

"Why not?" John looked clearly offended.

Gabriella wasn't sure how to say it in a way that wouldn't hurt his feelings. She knew that John thought their relationship was eternal; she however, was certain it was not. Sure, they'd eloped and everything…but she had done it for the hell of it. Out of thirst for adventure. Out of the need to do something wild. Out of boredom, trying to disrupt the ceaseless consistency of her dreary life.

"Just…not know. I've got to go to L.A. for that fashion show next week and then this baby is due in a few months…it's just untimely."

"She wants to know you. Fuck, we haven't even told her about the baby." John combed his fingers through his hair. These behaviors were so unlike him. John wasn't the type to elope and get his new wife pregnant directly afterwards. He was the type to go to law school. He was the type who called his parents every other day, and saw them once every two weeks, even though they lived in Rhode Island. Gabriella knew it was all killing him. She didn't want it to, but she didn't know what else to do. She guessed she was just waiting for their relationship to really break.

Poor Bennett. He'd done nothing wrong, and she'd created such bad surroundings for him. She wasn't even sure what she was doing anymore. She'd plunged into depression after some couple of years at the designing job, crumpling to her old smoking habits from late high school. Then she'd met John while waiting for a taxi (he'd offered her his), and he'd tried to persuade her out of the bad smoking habit. But she couldn't help herself. She knew it was bad, but it felt good to release in that way. Once she'd found out she was pregnant, she had been forced to throw away the cigarettes she'd stashed, but she was looking forward to starting up again once the baby was born. Guilt bordered her, but then she'd remember the pleasant way the hot air filled her lungs and the guilt would wash away.

What was she doing though?

She asked herself the same question every day, and never seemed to be able to answer it.

She wondered when she finally would be able to, and looked forward to that day.

* * *

John smiled delightedly to himself. He watched from the doorway as Gabriella drew sketches of designs in her notebook of thick drawing paper, humming absentmindedly to herself as she did so. She just had such a serene look on her face, like everything in her life was perfect. Even though it was not.

"I like that one," John commented, taking a few steps towards Gabriella's seat and touching the corner of the notebook softly. He ran his fingers over the graphite that imprinted the paper. "It's pretty."

"Thanks," Gabriella murmured, her cheeks flushing. She always a little conscious over her work when others outside of who she worked with in her company saw it. "I thought the collection could use some flirty, girly dresses."

"Yeah, it's really…wow, you're really talented," John breathed out, then flashing her a grin. John was a very tall, burly guy; he looked like a football player, and was several heads taller than Gabriella. He towered over her and set his wide hands on her fragile little shoulders, massaging them temporarily.

"Thanks, John," Gabriella whispered appreciatively, standing up and leaning against his hard body. She liked the contrast. It was a nice change, being with someone with such a different build than her. John walked them over to their bed, steadily cradling Gabriella in his arms before falling onto it. Gabriella giggled and tucked her head against John's chest, her fingers curling around his shirt. John kicked off his shoes and slipped off Gabriella's, his large fingers briefly toying with her tiny toes.

A few months had passed, and nothing seemed to have changed. Gabriella's status with John had remained the same; their relationship still quite the secret, his parents still oblivious. Gabriella was still having rocky feelings towards John, but kept them secret. They could wait. Any moment would be better than now to tell him how she felt about him, truthfully. Her job only proved to be more of a commitment, and although she was growing slightly bored of it, she continued on. She really had no choice.

John rested his chin on Gabriella's huge mound of a stomach, humming a familiar tune and making Gabriella's stomach vibrate. Gabriella laughed at this, and laced her fingers with John's.

Time moved so slowly, it seemed. How long had it been like this, every day a total bore and drag?

It felt like decades to poor Gabriella.

"I think we should go to bed now," John crooned against her ear, kissing it thoughtfully after a beat. "It's getting late."

Gabriella nodded and eased herself off of the bed, beckoning Bennett into bed and securing him under the covers after a bedtime story. She kissed his cheek and he wouldn't let her leave without a hug, squeezing her so tight that she was surprised a five-year-old had the strength.

She regressed to her bedroom, slipping off her clothes in the moonlight. She could hear cars honking noisily outside, zooming down the street, and chatter somewhere below. Ah, the sleepless city. She felt warm, big hands on her waist, and she smiled to herself in the dark. John pulled her body down onto the bed once more, throwing the covers over both of them. His arms enveloped her, his hands running up and down her nude body. His breath tickled her ear, and she felt cozy in his arms.

"We're going to be together forever," John said with such certainty. He gripped her hand. "I promise."

Gabriella halfheartedly pecked him a kiss, and felt her heart stagger. She would _never_ be able to stay put in life. Ever.

If only he knew.

* * *

A year later, Troy rocketed to fame very quickly. He tried his hardest to keep everything on the down low, and wanted to remain famous for his basketball accomplishments, not his social life. He stayed in and when he dated, he had whomever come to his house instead of going out. The paparazzi flocked him like crazy, and he always tried to avoid them whenever he could.

"Jasmine, don't," Troy groaned as the platinum blonde straddled him and looped her twiggy arms around his neck. She nipped suggestively at his ear, and Troy sighed. "I'm not in the mood."

"You never are anymore," the well-known model whined, warming his neck with her coaxing hand. "You always say you're so _tired _after games and practices."

"Because I am," Troy grumbled dully, craning his neck around Jasmine's head to see a basketball game on the flat screen across the room. Troy's eyes traveled across the screen, keenly watching as the ball was passed from teammate to teammate.

Jasmine placed her plump lips on his unresponsive ones anyway, taking his large hand and placing it firmly on her covered upper thigh.

"Oh, c'mon!" Jasmine complained childishly, puckering her heavily painted lips at Troy and feigning a whimper. "I even bought new lingerie." She pouted.

"Let's just eat. I've been fucking starved," Troy muttered tiredly, slowly standing up and letting Jasmine fall into his sturdy arms.

Jasmine was alright, overall. She had a tendency to complain relentlessly during her moody hours, and she could really get fiery when she consistently didn't get what she wanted, but otherwise, she was fine. She was respectable for the time being. She was a remotely reputable temporary mother to his kids, and she at least tried to understand him, even if she couldn't. In some ways, she wasn't who she looked like on the outside, but on the other, she was typical. She was anorexic skinny, being a pressured model and all, and although she was a natural blonde, she dyed her straight hair the blondest shade of blonde Troy had ever seen.

Troy heated up some frozen things that he had found in his freezer, jumping up to sit on the granite countertop as he waited. Jasmine came to stand in between his legs, swaying from side to side and smiling furtively.

"Please?" she begged again.

"Jazz, the kids are here."

"They're sleeping," Jasmine reminded him responsibly, then cracking her lipsticked mouth into another sly smile. She showed Troy all of her pearly white teeth, exhibiting them proudly.

"Hmm…still," Troy sighed. His mouth then caved into a smile, and he pecked Jasmine on the lips briefly. He knew Jasmine was desperate for more, the way she settled her bony hand on his knee.

The microwave beeped on the other end of the vast kitchen, signaling that their food had finished heating up. Troy kissed Jasmine briefly again before gingerly moving her away by the hips and leaping off the counter, propping open the microwave door. He slipped out the plastic containers of food, closing the microwave door with his elbow and carefully setting the food on the small island in the kitchen. Jasmine meanwhile dug through the drawers and pulled out various utensils, handing Troy a knife and fork.

"Thanks, Jazz," Troy smiled benevolently at her.

"Yup," Jasmine responded, then smiling back.

Troy liked how tranquil the atmosphere was here. His modern mansion was beyond enormous, beyond beautiful, and beyond expensive (although the price was well worth it), providing the most wonderful air of peacefulness for Troy. In his house, sometimes he felt like he was away from everything. Away from the nosy media, the hounding paparazzi, and even the overzealous fanatics who got on his nerves…. His house was his safe haven.

There was a very nice kind of quiet that ensued between Jasmine and Troy as they devoured their food, not minding its crappy quality. Troy would get home from practices some days and just not be able to function at all. He'd plop onto the couch and not get up even to go to the bathroom for his legs hurt so badly. He still wasn't used to it, and his brain ached just thinking that his career had only just jumpstarted. And yet, he was already an NBA favorite. It simply blew his mind.

Many believed he had begun dating Jasmine for publicity, although that was not the case at all. Troy had met Jasmine at a fashion show a year earlier, hoping to bump into Gabriella Montez. He had been sitting restlessly throughout the entire show, his eyes restlessly scanning the room for Gabriella. But among so many people and among the passionate commotion, it was so hard to see. After the show had finished, he had still made it his mission to find Gabriella. He had scoured the place before the crowd had filtered out completely, even accidentally winding his way to the backroom while trying to get to another room. There, Jasmine had spotted him looking so utterly confused, and she had genially asked him if he was lost. And at that moment, through the doorway behind Jasmine, Troy had seen Gabriella. She was radiantly beautiful, glowing, sporting very fashionable clothes and sexy heels and…what was that? A _wedding ring _glistening on her hand? Indeed it was. A fat diamond sat on her ring finger, weighing her tiny hand down. Luckily, Gabriella was in the depths of a conversation with another person, so she stood there in front of the door for quite a while. During this time, Troy had only helplessly tried to make conversation with Jasmine, trying to watch Gabriella for as long as possible. No. He couldn't approach her now, with the ring and all. What was more, she was pregnant, he saw as she finally angled her body a different way. Yes, very much so. There was no way he could go up to her. This saddened him greatly, and Jasmine saw. She asked what was wrong, but Troy wouldn't say. And Troy didn't know what happened, but suddenly, a few months later, he was in an increasingly deepening relationship with Jasmine.

Now Troy was twenty-five. Now Troy had been married once and divorced once. Out of that marriage, he'd gotten three children, all of whom he loved dearly. He made it his job to be there for these children of his, this time around. Troy had grown in maturity. All of his relationships with women had steadily lasted longer each time, and he had been married to his ex-wife Sophia for four years, three of them being backbreaking. They had met on a Tuesday at a basketball game (their seats had been juxtapose) and had gotten married that Saturday. The first year had been blissful; it was filled with syrupy phone messages and late night dates and weekend escapades while holding one-on-one study sessions for college. And then Jacob happened. And everything sort of broke apart. They really hadn't meant to have a kid; sure, they'd gotten married, but not thinking they'd have kids any time soon. But Jacob came, and they couldn't stop it. Sophia couldn't handle the motherly duties; pregnancy had been a share of hell enough, but she could hardly care for poor Jake. This worried Troy, but there was not much he could do. He was already busy as it was, trying his best to make money for the three of them. He was simply never around as a result. Money was scarce between the two of them, and they truly struggled to make ends meet.

A year later was when Troy's basketball career really sped up, and suddenly, he was gone all the time. He was constantly training, traveling, and never home. This caused his relationship with Sophia to deteriorate. He didn't know how, but out of the two times in the fourth year of their marriage, they'd had sex, and he'd gotten Sophia pregnant again. With twins this time, and to Troy's relief, they were fraternal. He remembered how awkward it had been at the hospital, and it had been like déjà vu. Sophia had called him in the middle of a game against the Clippers, and he'd had to scurry to the hospital, still in his jersey and mesh shorts. Sophia had still been so angry at him about an argument they had had days before, and was too stubborn to soften up to him. The first baby, Sam, had come very quickly, almost right after he'd arrived at the hospital. What he remembered most though was the interminable hours following, all a result of Sophia's stubbornness and steadfastness on not taking any drugs. The second baby, Ben, was refusing to come out, and Troy had been locked in the same room as Sophia, forced to entertain her until then. Now, some of the moments made Troy chuckle, although there were still some that made him sad.

_"So what do you want to do?" _

_Sophia threw him a disgruntled look. _

_"Well, in this current state, there's not much I can do," she shot back, feisty. _

_"I'm sorry your kid is so stubborn," Troy snapped, just as moody as she was now. She was putting him in a bad mood. "Congratulations. He takes after you." _

_"Shut up. You've got some shitty qualities too that I'm sure he'll have," Sophia mumbled, crossing her arms. _

_"I liked you better before the kids." _

_"Touché." _

_Troy sighed and slouched in his chair beside her bed. _

_"God, I feel like such a prisoner," Sophia groaned, referring to the way she was monitored at all times and literally strapped to the bed. _

_"You don't know what that feels like until you've been through one of my basketball practices," Troy grumbled. "Trust me, _that's _prison." _

_"Are you saying I'm not suffering at all right now?" _

_"I think you're exaggerating." _

_"Oh, really? Troy, at this point, I don't give a fuck about the contractions or pain or whatever. I'm sore, exhausted, hungry, sleepy, moody, irritable, trying to deal with a stubborn baby, and I've got to pee like hell. That beats a hard basketball practice any day," Sophia huffed once more, her face stone hard. _

_Troy remembered the days when everything was so easy between them. When they could talk freely, when they only laughed and never fought, and when kids weren't an issue. When Troy thought Sophia was beautiful, and Sophia thought Troy was the handsomest thing. Those were the days, and they were so faraway now. _

_"Do you want me to go buy you a magazine?" Troy offered helplessly, hardly trying to sound polite anymore. He was only trying to be slightly nice because her family lived all the way on the east coast. _

_"No. I'm going to pee," Sophia announced, her strawberry blonde waves a curtain behind her as she slid off the bed with difficulty, grunting as she slowly made her way to the connecting bathroom. _

_"Do you need…help?" _

_"I never need your help, Troy." She paused at the door before entering the bathroom. "See, Troy? I'm mobile because I didn't take any of those drugs. If I'd taken them like you'd wanted, you'd be helping me pee right now." She stuck her tongue out at Troy, and Troy rolled his eyes. _

_For the following hour, Sophia hardly even looked at Troy. Troy sat there, literally twiddling his thumbs, staring blankly at the floor. Time dragged on, and Sophia wavered in and out of unstable sleep. _

_"I don't know how we can do this, Troy," Sophia began stiffly after all that tense time. "I don't know how we'll be able to go on like this, fighting." _

_Troy felt his heart shatter in his chest, and his voice cracked as he hesitantly spoke. "Do you mean…are you suggesting we get a divorce?"  
"Yes." _

_Sophia closed her eyes and turned away from Troy, lying down on the bed with her back facing Troy. She hugged a pillow close to herself, her drawn face nestled in the sole item of comfort. _

_Troy sighed and put his head in his hands. He truly was a failure. _

_Troy fell asleep in that uncomfortable hospital chair, only awakened some hours later by the brittle cry of a baby. Troy jolted awake, thinking he had missed the birth of his second son, when it really was Sam. Troy straightened up in his chair, suddenly aware that he was going to officially meet his son for the first time. He had been whisked away so quickly before that he had hardly gotten the chance to get a glimpse; Troy was determined not to fall out of his sons' lives this time. He had messed up the first time, but this time, he knew he could be there, and he would. _

_Troy neared the bed, pulling up his chair closer to it, much to Sophia's dismay. Troy peered over her arm, looking in awe at the tiny little creature. He looked exactly like Sophia. The same color of strawberry blonde hair sat in wisps on his head, and his eyes were the same gray-green. Sam blinked once and then did not blink for a while afterwards. His fists were balled up tightly, and he stared up at Sophia and Troy in pure fascination._

_Was this what Troy had missed? _

_Even with Jacob, he had not been so attentive, not so into it. He had always imagined having his children with Gabriella, and that was what fantasy put him out of everything. But, after glumly realizing that would never happen, he told himself to get over it. And he did, and now he made himself pay attention to the current events, for they would never happen again. _

_Troy asked Sophia if she could hold the little baby boy, and Sophia paused in thinking. _

_"No," she shot back firmly, offending Troy greatly. _

_Troy felt fire burn in his chest. Why? Why couldn't he hold his own child? But Sam was once again taken away, and Troy sat down dejectedly in his chair once more, feeling quite empty. _

_What else had he missed? _

_Troy only felt emptier. _

_He drifted in and out of consciousness. How many hours would pass? How many hours had passed already? He wasn't sure. There were no windows in the hospital room, and the lights were always brightly lit in the hospital. He wasn't sure what the time was. _

_"Since we're getting a divorce," Troy said thickly to Sophia, "who gets the kids?" _

_Sophia gulped forcibly, and didn't dare meet Troy's intense gaze. "I was thinking…you." _

_"Me?" Troy asked; baffled, perplexed, shocked, stunned, and taken by surprise. _

_"Yes. You know I'm no good with children. I'll still be there…I'll visit them all the time. I will. But you know I will be no good mother to them," Sophia sighed. "I'm not ready. I never was. This all happened way too soon for me, Troy." _

_"Are you kidding me? Don't you think it was too soon for me too?" Troy snapped. But he was so tired. He had no energy to argue. Sophia clearly didn't have any energy either. She sagged against the pillows. "I want to go home."_

_"Well, so do I. Tough luck." _

_Troy sat their sleepily for another half hour before Ben finally was born. All of sudden, the baby seemed to have been in a rush. The doctor had just barely raced into the room when Ben was born. This time, Troy made sure he was there. Even though Sophia didn't want him to, Troy held Ben and rocked him back and forth and told him that he would be his daddy. And a good one. He would make sure of it. _

_It was going to be one hell of a ride; getting divorced, being alone with three kids, and trying to succeed in his career. Yeah, it'd be hellish for a while, but he'd find a way to make it. He just had to._

* * *

"Morning sweetie," Jasmine cooed sweetly to Jacob, rubbing the dozing boy's back and gently rousing him.

"Jazzy, what are we doing today?" came Jacob's scratchy voice, lifting his head up groggily to peer up at Jasmine. Jasmine was never short of amazement at how much Jacob looked like Troy. He had the same crooked smile and the same overgrown brown hair, although his was darker, and the incorrigible strands fell carelessly over his electric blue eyes.

"I was thinking maybe we could go to the park this morning," Jasmine smiled benevolently. She helped up the tall four-year-old, striding over to his elaborate wardrobe and picking out an outfit for him. She set it on his bed and winked at him. "You can walk Rusty if you want."  
Rusty was Jasmine's pug dog. The poor thing was horribly unattractive, but Jacob had an extreme affinity with animals and cared for the ugly canine like it was a real person. Or even better.

"Yeah!" Jacob exuberantly exclaimed, springing off his disheveled bed and yanking of his T-shirt, a truck imprinted on its navy blue front.

Jasmine laughed genuinely and ruffled Jacob's already-shaggy hair.

"Okay, Jake. I'm going to go get your brothers."

Jasmine wasn't surprised to see Troy in the twins' room already, pulling on the tiniest pair of gray corduroys on Ben while Sam slept soundly in a crib on the other side of the room. Jasmine smiled and crept up to Troy from behind, slipping her hands in the back pockets of his jeans.

"Hey, Jazz," Troy murmured with a slight smile as he finally finished dressing Ben, taking the baby into his arms. Troy smirked and held up a sleepy-looking Ben in his arms. "Doesn't he look macho?"

"Sure," Jasmine giggled, her long lips pulling back to reveal her commercial-worthy teeth. "Adorable. May I…?"

Troy warily passed the one-year-old to Jasmine, and Ben lay in Jasmine's carefully curved arms, looking so dreary. Jasmine smoothed down his light chestnut locks and whispered songs to him, suddenly finding herself wondering if she'd ever get to see the day when these three young boys of Troy's were fine young men.

"Go downstairs, give Jake breakfast, and feed Ben," Troy ordered Jasmine gently. "I've got to change this one's diaper."

Jasmine nodded and did as Troy said.

Troy never would've thought he'd be doing this if someone asked him five years ago. He would've simply laughed aloud and say, "_Never_." But here he was, and he didn't mind it one bit. Actually, his favorite job in the world was being a father.

At the park, the paparazzi flocked them as usual. Troy held one baby, Jasmine held the other, and Jake was tripping in front of them, Rusty roughly wrenching him along. Troy couldn't even begin to explain how the paparazzi frustrated, angered, and agitated him—there was nothing that could put him in a bad mood like the paparazzi. They got too close, they were insensitive, poking into your business and touching you, asking for smiles at times when smiles were certainly not suitable. It was not new to Troy, but it would never stop maddening him. It took everything Troy had in him to suppress the rage that roiled inside of him, and he kept his eye on his kids, knowing it was for their sake. Even as Jake slipped down the slide into Jasmine's slight arms; even as Troy put a blanket over Sam in his stroller in the chilly weather; even as Troy stood to throw something in the trash—the endlessly greedy paparazzi was there, either hiding in nearby bushes or blatantly snapping photos in his face—they were there. They were never satisfied, and they always wanted more. Troy found that in the whirlwind of fame and its territory, it always went like that. The producers, the media, the fans or whomever: they selfishly chanted "more, more, more," while the workers on the other side, athletes and actors like him, were fighting back with a weaker "less, less, less…."

Gabriella would see these paparazzi photographs of Troy online sometimes. She would see him and his hot windswept hair, usually lugging his adorable kids around. Sometimes there would be a wiry blonde at his side, aiding him out, sometimes carrying a kid or two, or following a hideous dog with a leash. Gabriella knew they were "together." She was sure. Why else would she be there? And if she was the sexy nanny, than she knew Troy was still fooling around with her. It was just Troy, after all. But these daily paparazzi photos comforted her. She liked to know that he was okay, and he seemed relatively happy in these photos. And that was enough for her. For now.

* * *

Gabriella surveyed the crowded scene, her dark hair piled up fancily on her head. She bit the end of a pencil in between her teeth, making sure everything was going okay. All the models seemed to be in good order, and everything seemed to have been already finalized. The show was almost on, and Gabriella's heart was quickening with excitement. She loved these fashion shows, when she got to exhibit her newest ideas. This time she'd been lucky to steal the chance of double-checking every model backstage, making sure everything was as right as it could possibly be.

One by one, each prim and prudish model promenaded by her, showcasing some brilliant piece of her work. Gabriella nodded as her eyes scanned each long-legged girl, her heart beating harder in her chest as she saw how good everything looked.

Everything seemed flawless, ready to go.

That was, until the last model tripped over her own heel and buckled clumsily to the floor, ripping her pants in the process. She looked up and grimaced, too embarrassed to say anything at all.

Gabriella quickly hustled to her aid, helping her up and clicking her tongue.

"I'm sorry, Miss Montez," the platinum blonde immediately scrabbled, looking so awfully afraid. "I didn't mean to—"

"—No, it's fine," Gabriella interrupted quickly, not having any time to spare. "I know what we can do. What's your name?"

"Jasmine," the angular girl said carefully, standing awkwardly in front of Gabriella.

"Jasmine, you're lucky. You'll go last, I guess. Maybe only model one outfit…."

"I didn't mean—"

"—It's _fine_," Gabriella insisted, briskly striding over to another a little connected room and pulling Jasmine in with her.

Gabriella, trying to bottle in her frantic feelings, rummaged through racks of clothing, finally selecting a skirt that didn't seem to match the blouse Jasmine was currently wearing.

"Just wear this."  
Jasmine took the arrangement of fabric with a wince, quite unsure the choice had been a good one. But Gabriella Montez was Gabriella Montez, and so she didn't utter a word, skedaddling with the skirt and hurrying behind a stretched curtain. She came back rapidly, modeling the skirt for Gabriella for the briefest of seconds.

"Good," Gabriella announced immediately, beginning to lead Jasmine back near the stage. They stood there just before the runway, looking out at the sea of people in a place where the audience couldn't see them.

Gabriella's heart stopped beating when she saw him. Troy, of course.

Jasmine's vital organ did a similar action. But her heart merely skipped a beat.

Gabriella was about to faint from shock. She saw him in paparazzi pictures every day, but that was nowhere near close as what it was like to see him for real, in person. Her breath was snatched away and her mind was fuzzed completely and she was left with her heart, pounding so frantically she thought it was simply going to stop. Her stomach fluttered as she watched his mesmerizing baby blue eyes flicker curiously around the room, almost as if sensing her presence.

Jasmine's stomach flipped in a nauseating way when she saw on who Gabriella's eyes were absorbed.

"You know him?" Jasmine inquired, intrigued.

"What? No, I just…I-I see him on TV," Gabriella garbled desperately.

"Oh, yeah?"

"Oh, yeah. Big fan. Big, big _big _fan."

Gabriella cracked a sweet smile to convince the tall blonde, not blinking in efforts to make her coffee-colored eyes glitter.

"Me too," Jasmine chuckled in her carefree, feathery voice.

"Oh, yeah? You're a fan of the Lakers…a-also?" Gabriella trampled over her own clumsy words.

"No, just a fan of Troy Bolton," Jasmine clarified with a grin. Her sea glass green eyes were twinkling for real. Gabriella eyed her suspiciously. "He's my boyfriend."

Gabriella felt her stomach drop inside of her. "O-O-Oh…? Is he really?" Gabriella muttered jealously. Now she looked familiar. It was only now that Gabriella recognized her from paparazzi candids. Gabriella felt the impulsive urge to sock her in the stomach, but she managed not to. Her hand clenched into a fist behind her, her manicured fingernails digging hard into her soft palm and leaving marks.

"Yep. Couple years now," Jasmine proudly publicized.

"That's nice. Good for you," Gabriella replied too sweetly, trying so hard to block the raging envy out of her voice.

Good for Jasmine, but bad for Gabriella.

Gabriella's eyes remained of Troy for the remainder of the show. She didn't care that he was watching the pokerfaced mannequins with obvious hunger and need, his eager eyes scrutinizing their flat bodies and silently judging each individual. Gabriella felt more jealousy rush through her veins, but there was nothing she could do. Jasmine was humming to herself, privately prepping herself for when she strutted out there. When it finally was Jasmine's turn, Gabriella was pleased to see Troy had given the same amount of attention to Jasmine as he had to all of the other equally pretty models. He still seemed restless in his seat though, his eyes still skipping suspiciously around the room. Gabriella bit her lip and sank beneath the shadows backstage, holding in her breath and closing her eyes.

"Gab-briella," Jasmine stammered once she returned. "Are you okay?" Jasmine seemed intimidated in Gabriella's superior presence still, swaying back and forth on her skinny legs.

"I'm fine," Gabriella snapped quickly, jerking awake and scuttling back with Jasmine to change.

Across the parking lot, Gabriella saw Troy and Jasmine again. They were giggling merrily, all perfect looking with their good looks. Gabriella felt her face contort distastefully as she watched, and she watched them drive away. Then she slid into her own sleek car and sped away.

* * *

Another year later. Another year of their lives they would not spend happily with each other.

Gabriella was going to L.A. for another fashion show and conference, and all she could think of was possibly seeing Troy. There was only one day left until she'd leave, and she was jumping with excitement; John was staying with the kids. She felt a bit guilty, but she needed her moments too. She needed those spurts of time when she was alone with Troy, feeling blissfully content. Even if it was temporary.

She was surprised when her cell phone rang with an unknown number.

"Hello?" she hesitantly answered.

Troy's heart stopped at the angelic voice. She sounded the same, just…older.

"Gabriella?"

"_Troy_?"

Gabriella dropped the phone to the floor in astonishment. She could hear Troy's voice tiny below her, "Gabi? Are you okay? What happened?"

Gabriella fluidly picked up the phone once more, slamming it to her ear. Now she was breathless. "Yeah? What, Troy?" It felt so indescribably good to say his wonderful name. She hadn't said it aloud in years.

"I was thinking…you're coming to L.A., right?"

"Yeah…how did you know that?"

"Jasmine…she models." Troy said this very carefully, each word forced.

"Right. Wait…how did you get my number?"

"Jasmine had it," Troy said sheepishly. Gabriella could just picture him blushing adorably; at the thought, her cheeks pinked up herself. "Anyway, I was thinking…I'll meet you at the airport when you come."

"Are you sure?" Gabriella breathed out, utterly surprised. Her heart was beating so hard in her chest she was afraid it was just going to jump out of her chest.

"Yeah. Good friends to catch up."

"Okay," Gabriella agreed willingly after one beat of contemplation. "I fly in tomorrow at LAX, four p.m. Um…call me?"

"Yeah, I will," Troy huffed, also evidently breathless. Gabriella heard him thread his fingers through his hair. "Alright. See you tomorrow."

"Yeah. Bye," Gabriella pitifully saluted him.

There was a minute of silence, both of them breathing heavily into the phone but neither of them saying anything. And then, at the same second, they both hung up.

Gabriella closed her eyes and breathed. Troy did the same on the other side of the country.

That had not been expected. It was going to be one hell of a week.


	5. Permanently Reunited?

**A/N: Here's another installment.... **

**Review please? It's nice getting a reward for all the time and hard work I put into this. :) **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Disney or High School Musical and am in no way affiliated with it. **

* * *

The whole world seemed to freeze to a halt the second that Troy saw Gabriella, standing outside of the airport with her suitcases at her side.

A line of irritating paparazzi looped around her and encaged her in the middle, snapping pictures and hardly letting her think straight.

"Please," Gabriella breathed desperately, trying to fight her way through once she'd spotted Troy's gleaming black limo in the L.A. sun. "Let me through…?"

Troy watched helplessly on the other side of the tinted windows in the elegant limousine, finally giving up waiting and heatedly thrusting open the door. He shoved aside two men in his way, rudely making his way to Gabriella in the bustling center of the cluster and only able to grab her slender arm. This was because his breath was taken away.

"Oh," Troy unleashed dazedly all at once in one exhale, stiffening his stance.

"What?" Gabriella hollered in confusion above the wildly disruptive clamor of the airport scene and relentless paparazzi.

"Sorry," Troy muttered fuzzily again, tugging her arm cautiously as he began to clear their way through the condensed crowd of people. Gabriella's throat was closing up, overwhelmed by the claustrophobia that squeezed her. Troy managed to propel open a door of the pristine limousine, letting Gabriella whoosh her way inside amidst the frustrating frenzy before he did the same.

"Lord," Gabriella mumbled in annoyance, pressing her tiny hand to her forehead. Her eyes fluttered close for just a moment, and Troy allowed her to recompose herself. "What were you saying?" Gabriella asked politely, her flushed face refreshed once she turned to Troy once again.

Both of them buckled their seatbelts after hearing the driver's wary recommendation, and Troy coughed hoarsely.

"You look…the same," Troy stated tremulously. His eyes drifted fixedly across her tantalizing figure, her curvy hips graduating into long, sexy legs. Troy steadied his breathing, disbelieving the goddess that sat so graciously in front of him on the leather cushioned seat.

Gabriella smiled benignly, as if she were about to laugh, although she didn't.

"Is that a good thing?" she questioned him patiently, another civil smile attached to that kindly presented inquiry.

"Yes," Troy decided breathlessly.

Gabriella giggled quietly to herself this time, scooting inches closer to Troy's body. She could feel the warmth radiating off of him already, and that alone made her heart flurry with longing.

"So…do the paps following you around like that everywhere?" Troy husked in disgust.

"Yeah," Gabriella sighed in displeasure, her smile flipping into a frown of dismay. "They never leave me alone. It's scary, because you know they're always _there_, but you never know _where_ they are."

"I know," Troy empathized sourly. "Even if I'm in the post office or something, they'll follow me, and the pictures will be on TMZ that night."

"It's crazy," Gabriella grumbled. "I can't wait for it all to slow down. Plus, I've got to carry my kids places! It scares _them _to see the paparazzi. I know I'm putting them in danger, and that kills me."

"Oh, me too," Troy agreed with a nod. "How many do you have now?"

"Two," Gabriella smiled at the thought of her lovely children. "Seven and two. I told myself no more. I just can't handle any more, you know? I had a pregnancy scare not to long ago, and that really made me think I should get my tubes tied."

"No!" Troy interjected too enthusiastically.

Gabriella raised an eyebrow.

"Don't," Troy advised her in a softer voice, his cheeks blushing up in embarrassment. "You never know when you'll want another one." Troy hoped one day she would have one with him.

Gabriella shrugged, staring at her lap. "What about you? Kids, I mean?"

"Three," Troy said quickly. He changed the scratchy subject just as fast.

"So how's your work been going?"

"Great, actually. Every time I think I'm at the peak of my career, I only elevate to a higher level, somehow," Gabriella answered, trying not too sound to proud. She quickly changed the topic, curious to hear of Troy's achievements (as if she already didn't know). "You?"

"Yeah, yeah," Troy nodded. "Same. The rollercoaster only speeds up, you know?" Troy paused, but then a string of chuckles emitted from his mouth. "Who would've thought in high school that we'd become famous like this?"

"I'm sure loads of people would believe that _you _would become a basketball champion," Gabriella smiled amusedly to herself. "But me? Not so much. I had the most horrible clothes in high school."

"Not true."

"C'mon, Troy. You're a guy. You had no clue if what I wore was in style or not," Gabriella pressed jokingly.

Troy shrugged, knowing she was very well correct, and Gabriella laughed gleefully in return.

"I want to go dinner tonight," Troy began firmly, his sapphire eyes serious as they stared into hers. Gabriella held her breath at the awing intensity that ensued between them, as thick and as strong as ever. "I know this fancy restaurant…."

"No, Troy," Gabriella whined childishly. "Please, no! You don't have to do this…I know you hate dressing up…and I don't want you to spend that much money on a single dinner…."

"This is a special occasion," disagreed Troy steadfastly, mildly surprising Gabriella by taking her hand in his larger one. Tingles rushed up and down Gabriella's arm. "We can't let this night pass over our heads. I don't care about paying. Gabriella, do you know how much professional athletes get paid? The _phenomenal _ones?" Troy smirked with a scintillating smile.

"Don't let that go to your head, now," Gabriella sniggered humorously.

"Just please, okay? Let me do something nice for you," Troy pleaded persistently, rubbing the top of Gabriella's hand gently.

"Fine," Gabriella caved.

Troy's eyes began to blaze, and he felt the most powerful urge to kiss her. But he held back. That could wait.

"It's going to be fantastic. You'll never, _ever _forget this night for the rest of your life," Troy assured her excitedly, settling back into his comfortable seat. "I promise."

"You don't need to promise," Gabriella whispered softly under her breath. Troy just barely heard her words. "I already know."

* * *

The extravagant dinner had taken place in easy air.

Troy had requested a personal area for themselves, and that they had had. The restaurant was conveniently situated right on the beach, and as a result, that was where they enjoyed their dinner. The neatest wooden porch stood over the tranquil ocean, seeming to rest right on the cerulean surface of the Pacific. Troy had reserved the cute porch all to themselves, and aromatic candles had been flamed and set about the square. Elegant roses, in bouquets and single stems, were set around and littered about the floor. Gabriella even spotted some wading in the water around them.

"Like it?" Troy murmured lovingly to her, taking her waist gingerly and gazing at her as she gawked at the ocean and dinner.

"You've got to be _kidding_, Bolton," Gabriella choked in utter disbelief, speechless as she raced to the end of the private platform, grasping the smoothly sanded fence as she stared down into the ocean's mystifying depths. Navy blue blanketed the sky, millions of silver stars that were not visible in the city dotting the spectacular expanse.

"I got your favorites," Troy whispered softly to her, beckoning her back to the set table in the center of the platform.

Gabriella opened the crisp menu, her mouth dropping open as she surveyed the options. They were all her favorite foods. Every one.

"How…am…I…supposed to _choose_?" Gabriella gaped throatily, frenziedly scanning the detailed descriptions of each elaborate entrée.

"You can get one of each and have a little bit of every one," Troy offered with a cheeky, knowing smile. His eyes were glittering in such a way that made Gabriella's stomach spring up every time she looked at them. Troy, on the other hand, had never seen Gabriella so effervescent before.

"Isn't that wasteful?"

"Nothing, baby, is wasteful when it's for you." Troy delivered the affectionate line pricelessly, winking at her to top it off.

Gabriella was going to faint; she really was.

The luxurious seaside dinner continued slickly, rolling conversation developing effortlessly, the silent passion between the two former lovers mounting to unparalleled altitudes.

Gabriella giggled as Troy rounded the car, insisting on opening the door for her. Gabriella stood from the car, snatching her purse that lay on the seat.

"Thank you, gentleman," Gabriella chided lightheartedly, curtseying courteously to him before closing the door herself.

But Troy had imprisoned her between the car and himself. Gabriella gazed wordlessly up at Troy, at a total loss of words. She would never be able to explain the way Troy made her feel; the way she felt like she was simply going to explode every time she touched him. He made her feel so content, so exuberant…even the simplest, smallest conversation could make her fly for two weeks straight.

Troy's eyes flickered towards hers, connecting with their inner fire silently. Troy sucked in a deep breath, letting it loose on Gabriella's face. Gabriella smiled in place of laughing, not wanting to ruin the intense moment. And then this time, instead of waiting, Gabriella made the move; she pushed her plump lips fiercely against Troy's, holding them for as long as she could before he pulled away. Gabriella could hear his thoughtful breathing in the darkness; heavy and pondering deeply in the silence. The only thing heard were leaves rustling in the soft breeze and branches scuffing against one another, a twig being broken here or there.

"Gabriella…" Troy sighed.

"What?" Gabriella murmured, not understanding what was wrong.

"I know what this is going to lead to. I can't—I have the kids in the house with Sydney, some poor sixteen-year-old girl I hired…."

"We can go back to my hotel," Gabriella pleaded softly, tugging his hand gently. "Please…it's really nice. I've got a big nice bed…room service…." She could already feel her sex organ sparking with desire within her.

Troy sighed, ruffling his hair shakily with his hands. "That's not the thing, Gabi. I just…I love my kids, but I'm just…"

"…Torn?" Gabriella helped, understanding how he felt.

"Y-Yeah," Troy breathed out.

"We'll be fast, right? We go the hotel, and then we come back," Gabriella suggestively proposed.

Troy hesitated, about to say something. "Alright…okay, you know what? Y-Yeah. Let's do that."

Gabriella's heart jumped up in elation, and twenty minutes later in the hotel, she was straddling Troy on the downy cover of the bed.

"You've got t-to…show me," Gabriella croaked weakly as Troy's fingers danced on her skin, his lips following their trail. "Show…me…." Gabriella's fingers knotted in his hair, and she just barely managed the last part out of her mouth, "…how much you…l-love me…."

"I'll show you more than that, babe," Troy drawled against her lips, pecking them quickly. "So much more…."

After an intense, unforgettable two hours of lovemaking, Troy knew it was time to go back home. He was very reluctant, but somehow dragged his nude, perspired body out of the grand, king-sized bed. It was calling his name, wasn't it? Troy felt that magnetism to the bed, but then he remembered his beautiful sons, probably sleeping soundly and tucked neatly into their beds. With those thoughts clogging his mind, he redressed in the dimness of the night, hearing Gabriella's pants on the bed behind him.

'Stay?' Gabriella wanted to murmur to him, but she knew she couldn't.

"Tomorrow," Troy whispered aloud as if he could hear her voice, nodding to her in the intimidating darkness before nearing the untidy bed once more. He was decked in his suit once again, and this made Gabriella quite sad. She didn't want him to leave. They kissed adoringly for another handful of minutes before Troy folded the covers tenderly over Gabriella, bidding her goodnight and goodbye.

* * *

Two days was all Troy and Gabriella had had with each other.

They spent most of the little time they had strictly alone; Gabriella, although with the chance of meeting Troy's kids, still had not. The other time Gabriella had spent in L.A. was taken up quickly with work, and that harried her ceaselessly. After two days, Gabriella was abruptly shipped off to San Francisco, where another bout of meetings congested her active schedule and depressed her further. Being deprived of Troy while knowing he was in the same state was not fun. In fact, it tortured Gabriella. Soon enough, she returned to New York City, her spirits very low but boosted up when she saw her kids' beaming faces. John, on the other hand, had not been beaming at all. Actually, he was not even close to pleased.

"John," Gabriella muttered perplexedly upon witnessing John's enraged expression. "What's wrong?"

"What's _wrong_?" John fumed hotly, trying to keep his voice down. "_You _tell me. After all, you where the one who kissed him first anyway."

Gabriella's stomach plunged terrifyingly inside her.

Oh, no.

The worst had happened. Her nightmare was coming true.

Why did everything in her life have to be so drastic, so dramatic?

John could only contain himself long enough to show her the first artifacts of the rich paparazzi evidence that showcased her and Troy lip-locking fervently against the car, and then journeying to the hotel and Troy driving from it. 'CHEATING ON HER LOUSY HUSBAND JOHN WITH THE SPOILED MILLIONAIRE TROY BOLTON?!' the queasy headlines blared vociferously, a symbolic slap in the face for both John, Troy, and Gabriella.

How could she have been so stupid?

The worse part was that she had been the one to make the initial move.

"You're out," John instructed harshly, trying to simmer his boiling anger the best he could. His bulky hands clenched into tight fists. "You, Bennett, and Jack are out of here. I'm giving you two days to pack. By then, you're out. Of. Here," John punctuated stiffly; his ferocious facial expressions made him seem unrecognizable.

"Who are you?" Gabriella whispered in fright, taking a step back. Her eyes watered with tears, misting her vision.

"Who the fuck are _you_?" John spat harshly at her. "How could you _cheat _on me? I would _never _cheat on _you_! I've been faithful this whole time…how do I know this isn't the first incident? How do I know you haven't gone behind my fucking back before?! I just CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE! Being so fucking secretive, you not meeting my parents and eloping…it's hard for me! So fucking hard! And I'm sick of it. So fucking sick of it! The best thing for both of us is to separate," John affirmed with his fists knocking the wall for emphasis.

Tears made rivers down Gabriella's pale face.

"I can make it out of here by t-tonight," Gabriella whispered rapidly, covering her mouth with her hand as her petite body quavered with bottled sobs. "And then-n I never want to s-see you…again."

She was in L.A. by midnight California time, and was on Troy Bolton's doorstep forty-five minutes later.

Troy's heart cracked open when he saw Gabriella slouching helplessly at his door, so limp and fragile. Her saintly face was drawn into such a grim one that Troy, for a split second, was not certain the gloomy figure was Gabriella, for Gabriella Montez could surely never feel such wretchedness and sorrow.

"Hey," Gabriella whimpered in a wobbly voice.

"Hey," Troy replied, his voice surged with more confidence. He swallowed hard.

"Would it be okay if I stayed here for a while?" Gabriella pushed forth the solemn sentence out of her mouth at once, getting it over with. She looked up wistfully at him, hoping and praying silently.

"Oh, God," Troy breathed out, setting a gentle hand on her waist. "Oh Gabs, of course…."

"Oh, thank you," Gabriella replied erratically in relief, trying so hard not to cry. "Let me go get the kids…they're sleeping in the cab…."

Troy's eyes distinguished the mustard yellow vehicle in the street, a tiny speck from where they stood at his front door.

"I'll get them," Troy said quickly. His hand was warm on Gabriella's, coaxing her gently. "Go rest on the sofa."

"Troy, I—"

"—Shh. You've got to calm down, baby."

Gabriella's heart bounced at the term of endearment, and she mutely obeyed his request.

Troy traipsed outside through his verdant lawn, squinting in the darkness. He pointed out with his eyes a cute boy with jet-black hair in the backseat, his forehead pressed against the cool glass of the taxi. He didn't look much at all like Gabriella, except the fact that they had the exact same brown eyes. Bennett's eyes traveled up Troy's hefty form as he neared the car, jerking open the door of the taxi suddenly.

"Hey," Troy greeted the seven-year-old civilly. "I'm Troy Bolton."

"Mommy's talked about you before," Bennett mumbled drowsily, very sleepy indeed. "But I know who you are anyway. You play for the Lakers. I see you on TV all the time. Mommy watches all of your games."

"Does she?"

Troy chuckled and helped Bennett out of the car, guiding him back up through the lawn to the open front door.

"Are we going to live here from now on?" Bennett asked quietly once they had reached their destination, his warm eyes filled with worry.

Troy sighed and stared sympathetically down at the kid. "Your mom and I have to figure it out first. We're not sure."

"Okay."

"Here, let me show you your room," Troy smiled kindly, leading Bennett to an empty bedroom next to Jacob's, Troy's eldest. Bennett didn't even look around, plopping onto the plush bed and falling asleep almost immediately. Troy laughed quietly to himself and trekked back downstairs.

Gabriella was on the sofa in the living room, holding two-year-old Jack on her stomach and cradling his head on her arm.

"I went to go get him," Gabriella whispered, careful not to wake up Jack, who was sleeping. "It really made me nervous leaving him with the taxi driver. You know, he was a sweet guy, but…." Gabriella's monologue was interrupted by a long yawn.

"Tired?"

"Yes," Gabriella admitted sheepishly, stretching up from the couch. "I'm not sure where Jack could sleep, though…."

"I'll pull up an old crib the twins' from the basement," Troy assured her hospitably. Gabriella was about to tell him not to worry, but he scurried downstairs before she could. Gabriella sighed and trudged upstairs, meeting Troy, equipped with the crib, in an empty bedroom on the kids' floor. Troy positioned the crib against a green wall. "I'll go get sheets," Troy said swiftly, rocketing to the hallway closet and back again in record time. He dressed the mattress and secured the inside walls of the crib with pillows for the time being, and Gabriella lay Jack in the middle of the crib.

"Thank you so much, Troy," Gabriella whispered sincerely to him, every word wholly heartfelt. "I can't thank you enough—"

"—It's perfectly fine," Troy vowed softly.

"It's just that, John saw pictures of—"

"You can tell me in the morning," Troy murmured to her once more, pulling her body closer to his. "For now, just get some sleep."

Gabriella finally shushed herself and ventured with Troy onto his personal floor, the one above it, stripping herself of her clothes and curling up comfortably with him under the blankets.

Although John had kicked her out just the day before, and she had gone through two airplane flights in two days, she slept better than she had in a while.

And that was all because of Troy.

She knew she was safe. She knew she was okay. She wasn't sure how they were going to make it, but she knew that they would. Knowing that alone was enough for her.


	6. News

**A/N: Please tell me how this is. I'm nervous about this chapter, so honest feedback would really help. :D **

**I love all of you! Thanks so much for the INCREDIBLE response of last chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Disney or High School Musical and am in no way affiliated with it. I don't own ShopRite or Perrier water.**

* * *

"So," Troy began gruffly at the breakfast table the next morning. "What happened? Why did you…flee your home?"

Gabriella stared down vacantly into the bowl of simple cereal she'd insisted on eating, turning down the gourmet pancakes Troy had had personally cooked. She knew that this would not live up, but she was trying to avoid getting used to Troy's lavish lifestyle.

"John demanded we get a divorce," Gabriella explained thickly, her voice hardly level. Troy uneasily saw that it was very hard for her to speak of this. "He saw paparazzi pictures of us kissing against the car that night." Gabriella swirled her spoon distractedly in the milk, her voice growing heavier. "He threw me out with the kids."

"I'm so sorry," Troy lamented in the softest, sincerest voice. Gabriella could tell that he wasn't just saying it; he really meant it. Troy forked a piece of scrumptious pancake, sticking it in his mouth slowly as if contemplating meanwhile. The silence was so dense that Troy felt that need to break it, and he did so politely. "Are you sure you don't want some?" Troy asked benevolently after a while. He was referring to the pancakes. "They're…delectable." Troy paused momentarily and then smiled crookedly, making Gabriella almost collapse from how adorable it was.

"No thanks," Gabriella said again. Her eyes flickered over Troy's form, and she sighed another question. "What happened with Jasmine?"

"Um…well, we broke it off some months ago," Troy mumbled, drizzling maple syrup all over his pancake. He put the jug of syrup down stiffly. "You know, it's…it's not the nicest story. I'd rather not talk about it."

"Okay," Gabriella whispered softly, respecting his wishes fully. "How's life?"

"Just speeds up." Troy shook his head before feeding himself another square of pancake. "The kids, too…they're just…their lives are so much more complicated and difficult than they need to be, you know? They're still so young. They need to be able to live their lives privately, in a way that will enable them to grow healthily. The paparazzi aren't very nourishing. They're receiving the wrong kind of attention." Troy's voice lowered in volume. "I'm scared for them."

"I know what you mean," Gabriella empathized carefully. "My kids, too…although, I think you're worse off than me. But I bet there were paps hiding in the bushes last night, while I arrived here at your house."

"There probably were," Troy nodded quietly. There was another tense period of silence. "I was thinking about it all night," Troy began crisply, "and I've come to a conclusion."

Gabriella's heart started to pound with suspense. "What?"

"I don't think we should involve ourselves in a relationship."

The way Troy was saying it made it sound so final and so impersonal. Gabriella felt her spirits sink low, but she knew that Troy was saying this with all the goodness in his heart put forward. She understood why.

"You're right," Gabriella whispered in response after a moment. She awkwardly rested her hands in her lap. Troy glanced up at her with his dilated blue eyes.

"I don't think we're personally ready. But apart from that…we've never really had a stable relationship before. I don't want this to be another spontaneous fling, and before we jump into a relationship," Troy took a moment to suck in a deep breath, "I think that we both need to adjust to this life. You, especially, and your kids."

Earlier, they had responsibly established that Gabriella would be staying until she found somewhere else to go.

Gabriella nodded slightly and tried her best to eat her cereal. There were quick, easy-to-miss moments like these when she felt like a kid again, but then was forced to behave like an all-knowledgeable adult. This backed up Troy's affirmative decision. She wasn't ready to engage herself in an adult romantic relationship, as sad as that fact seemed to sound to her.

"I just want to give it time," Troy supported his decision further.

"I get it, Troy," Gabriella snapped back all too quickly.

Their powerful gazes connected and everything stilled around them, and Gabriella held her breath.

"What are we going to do today?" Gabriella inquired in a wary voice into the quietness between them.

"Well," Troy began considerately, swallowing his food first before continuing. "All of mine have school."

"Right," Gabriella nodded, wanting to smack herself for how stupid that question had been. It was early December and a Monday. "Where do they go?"

"Burnaby Academy," Troy responded curtly before wiping his mouth clean with a cloth napkin.

"Oh. I've heard of that school," Gabriella gulped. It was where all of the celebrities' children went. "Do you think I could enroll Bennett there?"

"It's in the middle of the year, but yeah, we could pull some strings," Troy murmured confidently, standing up with his spotless plate and glass of frothy milk clenched in his hands. Gabriella knew that they would be "pulling strings" with their high statuses. It was in times like these when that came in handy.

"And your toddler…Jack…that school also offers a preschool and daycare," Troy said helpfully. "It's got everything. From birth until twelfth grade."

"Wow."

"Yeah, it's super convenient. That's another reason why a lot of…you know, rich people send their kids there. It's really flexible, too, because they have home-schooling programs if necessary," Troy supplemented, laying his plate and cup in the sink.

Gabriella stood herself and did the same, leaning her back against the stone countertop and still not breathing.

"Troy," Gabriella whispered again, "I need to talk to you about my job. I mean, I didn't even give any warning. I just uprooted my family and left. What am I going to do?" Gabriella swallowed forcibly, and Troy knew that this was another sensitive topic of conversation. "It's been on my mind since I left New York."

Troy breathed out loudly. "You don't know anyone that could help you get a job here? Listen, I just think that you should calm down for a while. At least for a little while. A week or so. Just give yourself time to adjust and think through. Think about what you want. What if you continue this work? You and your kids and your lives will still be in the spotlight, right? Is that what you want?"

"Troy, there's no other job I can do that would still support my family. I didn't go to college. The only other thing I can do is, like…bag items at ShopRite."

"I'm just saying. Give it some thought, Gabi. It's a big decision."

Gabriella sighed.

Her whole life was a big decision itself, with a lot of other big decisions inside it. Sometimes she wished she could just trash thinking about decisions and doing them impulsively. After all, they weren't so bad. Those were the kinds of rash decisions that brought her to Troy.

* * *

Gabriella clicked with Troy's children right away, and Troy clicked with Gabriella's, too. But Gabriella grew attached to them faster.

It was good in a way that she didn't have a demanding career yet, and that she'd left her previous one behind in the City. She was always home, and always taking care of her and Troy's collection of five kids now, getting to know them better. Even her own kids she learned more about, spending more time with them than she had before.

Going out still caused a mad riot.

She was especially scared when she was alone with the kids, running errands or whatnot. Troy had considered hiring bodyguards, but Gabriella reminded him that was going against "creating a natural environment" for their children.

At first, it had been brutally hard to function with those coldhearted glares criticizing her. It was easy for Gabriella to detect what they were thinking. They would see her—ethereally beautiful and ripe at twenty-six years of age, four young kids running circles around her and one in her arms, and her trying to manage all of them at once—and they would think, _What a slut. What is the world coming to? _Gabriella could feel their heated stares at her, so harsh and unfair. They didn't even know.

Five more or less uneventful weeks had passed, and Gabriella felt like she had finally found her home. It reminded her of the movie _Yours, Mine, and Ours_—even Troy's kids felt like her own, and vice versa. It felt so good. The familial vibe she got every day enflamed her soul and surged her to seize the day.

"Ben," Gabriella reprimanded sharply to Troy's youngest by less than a day, giving the adorable little brown-haired boy a stern look. "Get in the car _now_."

"But Mommy!" Ben whined in protest, stomping his foot stubbornly on the sidewalk.

Gabriella's stomach did a flip. For some reason, the twins were calling her 'Mommy.' They were five-year-olds now—they knew she wasn't their real mother. So why? Gabriella didn't try to stop them, but it still ebbed at her, even though it sounded so natural.

"Everyone else is in the car but you," Gabriella pressed on, sighing. She peered through the window at Ben, cringing at the flocks of paparazzi that surrounded the car. "Ben, get in the car!"

Gabriella's heart was thumping angrily at how close the paparazzi were getting to the petrified kindergartener, who cowered weakly and whose knees were buckling.

"M-Mommy!" Ben squeaked fearfully as the trillions of cameras clicked faster and faster, a handful of them poking through the open window of Gabriella's car. Ben's hazel eyes began to swell with tears, and soon they were spilling down his cheeks. He was so scared that he was trembling, gripping the strap of his backpack as if it were his life.

"Fuck," Gabriella muttered hotly under her breath, in a voice too low for anyone else to hear. Gabriella furiously wrenched open the car door, a few paparazzi stumbling back in surprise. The celebrity ruthlessly pushed and shoved her way through the solid crowd, trampling over meddlesome cameramen on her way to tiny Ben. They took the chance they were given, firing personal questions at her.

"WHAT'S IT LIKE LIVING WITH TROY BOLTON?"

"WHY ARE YOU TAKING CARE OF TROY BOLTON'S KIDS?"

"WHY DID YOU LEAVE YOUR DESIGNING JOB IN NEW YORK?"

"ARE YOU GETTING A DIVORCE WITH YOUR HUSBAND BACK IN NEW YORK?"

"ARE YOU GOING TO GET MARRIED TO TROY BOLTON?"

"ARE YOU HAVING TROY BOLTON'S BABY?"

It was hard to ignore the offensive questions, but she did her best. She tugged Ben up in her arms at once and wrestled her way back to the car, taking him into the front seat with herself so she would only have to open one door and making the boy crawl to a backseat from there. Gabriella restrained herself from bursting and screaming an array of curses, and managed to steer her way through the desperate throng of people without running any of them over.

"Mommy, I'm sorry," Ben apologized in a small voice from the backseat.

"You're not doing that again, do you hear me? You get in the car _when I say so_," Gabriella instructed firmly. "Okay, Ben? And that goes for all of you. What I say, you do."

She didn't want to have to be so strict with the kids, but with so many, she knew she had to be.

At the moment, she felt like one of those stay-at-home moms. She ran errands, drove the kids to all of their activities, did the laundry, and cleaned the house. Troy had paid people previously to do those chores, but Gabriella had insisted on taking on those tasks, insisting that it helped her clear her mind. Indeed, it did.

Although Gabriella wasn't involved in a romantic relationship with Troy, she felt as if their overall bond had strengthened. She always knew they had had a special chemistry, but spending more time with him had allowed her to really get to know him. Troy had been right. They had needed to sort everything else out before their relationship, and allow time to work its magic.

"Hey, Gabi," Troy brightly greeted Gabriella from a tough basketball practice, smiling elatedly from ear to ear. "How's everything?" Just hearing Gabriella's voice cheered up his hectic day.

"Paps chased the kids around the school as usual," Gabriella sighed. "I think I'm really going to have to talk to the principal this time."

"The only good thing is that it's not the first time the school would have to deal with something like this," Troy sighed in return.

"Yeah," Gabriella replied quietly.

Silence.

"Troy?"

"Yeah, Gabs?"

"I want to start working again. I never thought I'd say this, but…I miss it. I miss fashion," Gabriella announced. "My friend Alisa…I'm sure she can hook me up with some job interviews around here."

Silence.

"Troy?"

"Yeah?"

"So…what do you think?"

Troy rubbed his hands vigorously over his sweaty face. "Yeah. I think that's great."

"Really?" Gabriella asked skeptically. "You don't sound like it. Troy, if you don't want me to, I get it. I really do."

"No, it's not that. Go out there. I want you to do this. I promise," Troy encouraged genuinely. Gabriella could hear it in his voice; he was telling the truth.

"Thank you, Troy," Gabriella whispered sincerely, meaning every syllable with all of her heart. She knew that Troy knew that.

"You're welcome, Gabs. Good luck."

"Thank you."

"Listen, I've got to back to practice. See you at home. I think Carlo is making Italian tonight," Troy said excitedly.

Gabriella giggled, and Troy's heart jerked at the sound. "Okay. Bye."

"Bye."

Troy reluctantly hung up, and Gabriella sat on the sofa motionlessly for a moment. It was still surreal that she was living with Troy Bolton like this. She slowly dialed Alisa's number, the one she had memorized and hadn't called in so long. She could not have been more thankful when Alisa picked up.

"Hello?"

"'Lisa!" Gabriella exclaimed enthusiastically. "Alisa, it's me!"

Alisa hollered aloud in disbelief, "_Gabriella Montez_?"

"Yeah," Gabriella confirmed with a smile. It was so good to hear the voice of her old high school friend and coworker. "Yeah, it's me. It's Brie."

"God," Alisa mumbled. "I thought you couldn't get any bigger, but you have. C'mon, Brie, _Troy Bolton_?!"

"What?" Gabriella giggled, at ease now. "We knew each other in high school."

"Fuck, are you lucky to have him," Alisa muttered jealously, envisioning Troy's appetizing athletic body in her mind. "Plus, you guys have like a huge group of kids. How many do you guys have together?"

"Five," Gabriella sighed, threading her fingers through her hair. "Yeah, they're a handful. Trust me, there will be no more for us."

"So how long are you going to stay with him?" Alisa interviewed curiously.

"Um…" Gabriella pondered, pressing her lips together as she did so. "I don't know yet, 'Lisa. We're just…playing it by ear, you know?"

"Hmm," Alisa responded in understanding with a civil nod. "I see."

"Listen, Alisa. I called because I need to know if you know of any job I could get here," Gabriella pronounced thickly. "Um, you know. Designing." There was silence on the other end. "And Alisa, I know that you're mad at me for just leaving like that, but there was nothing else for me to do but leave New York City. When John kicked me out, I had no one else to go to." This was when Gabriella's silky voice rasped into a far more desperate one. "You've got to understand, Alisa—"

"—I get it, Brie," Alisa murmured sympathetically. "I get it. I understand. Yes, you were our best designer, but that'll only give you a boost in finding a new job, right?" Alisa took in a deep breath, and Gabriella heard a rustling of papers. She was sure that Alisa was seated primly at her smooth wooden desk, surveying others' designs among the clutter. "Actually, great timing, Brie. Luck is on your side today. I've got a great job you might want to interview for in Los Angeles. The only thing is…it's not the same thing you've been doing lately."  
Gabriella apprehensively asked, "Well then…what is it?"

"It's…being the assistant editor to a magazine. A big one."

"A fashion magazine?"

"Yes. Think. What's the biggest fashion magazine you can think of?"

Gabriella gulped forcibly, and suddenly felt dizzy. Her? Apply for a job at the one and only _Mannequin _magazine? The renowned monthly that was reprinted in different languages universally?

"God, Alisa," Gabriella breathed in awe. "You're not kidding, are you?"

"Of course not. Gabs, even though you've never done something like this from what I know…you've got the intelligence, the integrity, the will, the responsibility…the _potential _to succeed in a position like this. I know Alessandra Filipacchi might be skeptical at first, but I am certain you can prove her wrong." The solid confidence in Alisa's sturdy voice really made Gabriella believe her for a second. "I know you can do this, Brie."

"You make it sound so easy," Gabriella squeaked, beginning to feel lightheaded.

Working with the famous Alessandra Filipacchi? The insane woman who always got her way, no matter how mental her ideas or commands were? Working with that untamed woman alone made Gabriella nervous. Having such a demanding job? Ten gazillion times worse.

"I don't know, Lis," Gabriella continued feebly. "I've got to take care of the kids." Her eyes drifted towards the graceful staircase that led up to the childrens' floor, where she could easily picture them scrawling answers adorably on their homework handouts.

"Don't give me that excuse, Brie," Alisa admonished gently. "You and I both know that that's not the problem. What's holding you back? Is it really not worth a try?"  
Alisa was a hundred percent correct. It wouldn't hurt for her to simply _try_, right?

"I'm going to do it, Lis," Gabriella decided suddenly, her voice refreshed.

Alisa squealed ecstatically on the other end and piped eagerly, "Here's the info."

* * *

Alessandra Filipacchi's secretary had set up a lunch date for the two of them. The pitiably overstressed secretary had frantically explained how Ms. Filipacchi took a special interest in Gabriella because of her impressive designing background.

Gabriella had to say, she was pleasantly surprised to hear that secretary's words. Although she was quite flattered, she didn't let that get to her. Her uncontrollable nerves shook her body from head to toe, and she was too worried to even eat dinner. She told Troy, and he was as supportive as he tended to be. He didn't seem concerned, and assured Gabriella calmly that if she did indeed score the job, he would rehire the people to do the tasks Gabriella had taken to doing.

Troy and Gabriella had separated themselves into two different bedrooms and beds, but Gabriella was honestly glad for once. She was embarrassed that she was so nervous, and had been trembling in fright all night. The morning of the day of the interview, Gabriella was still restless and jittery. She couldn't help herself; she was freaking the fuck out. For God's sake, this was Alessandra Filipacchi. The highly respected, psycho editor of _Mannequin_. What was happening? Was she really going to do this?  
She stiffly paced into the chic restaurant a few minutes early, although knowing in the back of her mind that the illustrious editor would be fashionably late. But to Gabriella's surprise, the tall woman arrived at the restaurant on time. The two of them caused more than just a stir; a hurricane of paparazzi whirled about the walls of the elegant eatery, snapping pictures and poking their noses into every nook and cranny. This only made Gabriella's palms clam more, and the security having to force away the cameraman did not help.

Alessandra seemed much more accustomed to this annoying attention than Gabriella, and her experience showed in the way she carried herself. She and Gabriella were escorted to a private corner of the restaurant, given formal plates of grapes and cheese.

"Wine?" the neatly dressed waiter asked, holding up a bottle.

"Oh, no! Please take that away," Alessandra demanded sharply, fanning herself with her jeweled hand and gesturing for the young waiter to shoo. "You see, I just got off alcohol," Alessandra clarified in an embarrassed mumble to a flushed Gabriella.

That seemed to explain a lot.

"So," Alessandra began, popping a violet grape in her mouth. She chewed it thoughtfully before swallowing. "I want to hire you."

Gabriella nearly choked on the thin slice of cheese between her teeth.

"_What_?" Gabriella gasped in sheer astonishment, gripping the sides of the chair she was sitting on. She thought she would fall off of it.

"Yes, yes, I do." Alessandra grinned too widely, showing every single one of her teeth. "I liked your resume, and your background is enough for me. You seem to be a truly brilliant girl, and a talented designer. I've seen your work from before, and it's more than marvelous. Turning you down for this job, although it is slightly different, would be the grandest mistakes of my career." She smiled broadly once more, swirling the liquid in her glass of Perrier.

"God, I—I can't even…." Gabriella was at a loss for words. Her beautiful eyes blazed with excitement, her face overturned with shock. "Th-Thank you. I won't let you down."

"You won't. You can't." Alessandra winked at her and then set down her glass hard and with too large of a flourish. Water leapt out of the transparent glass, leaking onto the white tablecloth. "Gah. Waiter, waiter!"

The woman was fifty, but acted like she was ten.

Gabriella giggled inside, wholly happy for just that one blissful second.

* * *

Like Gabriella had anticipated, her new career took hold of her old life and strangled it with its giant hand.

She hardly saw Troy or the kids; maybe late at night, and her sleeping patterns were horrible. In awful coincidence, Troy had suffered a shoulder injury around the same time, forcing him to stay at home and take care of the five children. So at least they were receiving love from one parent.

But she could barely think some days. She hadn't expected such a demanding job. It seemed that everything Alessandra was supposed to do was piled onto her. Now, Gabriella couldn't hate Alessandra any more. Sure, the job was a good one, and she enjoyed what it was about, but she had _too _much work. Alessandra was being fair, but Gabriella didn't approach her, in fear of being fired. So she worked ceaselessly and diligently day and night, excelling in everything and further faming the _Mannequin _name.

The months passed by slowly, but quickly at the same time. On one hand, she was working for so long every day, but on the other, her kids and Troy kept her going.

One day, she discovered a bump where her flat abdomen used to be. She wasn't even sure how she'd missed it. As she stood naked in front of the full-length bathroom mirror, she noticed it was fairly prominent. She knew what it was in the back of her mind, but couldn't bare to admit it to herself. She was in denial for another month, her suspicion only proving when the bump steadily grew larger and larger. She found herself trying to hide it from Troy, relieved once more that they slept in separate quarters. She wore more flowing dresses and shirts, and was very successful in obscuring her secret from the media, but most importantly, Troy. Soon enough, it began to become harder and harder to conceal her dear secret. Her career still dominated her life, and there were some days when she simply couldn't take it. The fatigue dragged her and she always felt so sensitive—the last thing she wanted to do was work. But she pushed herself. She knew she should take a pregnancy test, but the thought made her nauseous. A confirmation? Seeing the proof on that stick? If she could avoid it, or at least prolong it, she would.

But one day, as she sat on her bed at midnight, about to slip under the covers, she stopped herself from doing so. She had to tell Troy. It was reaching the point of ridicule. Gabriella had made her self count the months since she'd last had sex; six months. As she thought about it, how in the world had she done it?  
She crept up to Troy's gallant master bedroom, shyly leaning against the frame of his bedroom door. She was dressed in an oversized T-shirt that skimmed her knees, and wore small boy shorts underneath. She watched as Troy set his alarm clock, about to switch of his bedside light when he noticed Gabriella's presence.

"Hey, Gabi," he saluted her softly, smiling up at her. "What's up?"

Gabriella's voice wavered. "Um…Troy…can I talk to you?"

"Of course you can," Troy answered, although he now seemed a bit nervous.

Gabriella strolled over to his bed, standing in front of him awkwardly.

"Umm," she blubbered, unsure what to say.

"Would you feel better if you sat down?" Troy suggested gently.

Gabriella nodded queasily and did so, sitting next to Troy on top of the comforter.

There was a silence in between them, and to fill it, Gabriella stared at him. She gazed right into his cyan eyes, which were spiraling with such passion and love for her that Gabriella only felt guilty. She had been hiding this for far too long.

"What?" Troy breathed out in his husky voice, noticing a change in Gabriella's expression. He couldn't stop himself; his hand gravitated up to her godlike face, his fingers ghosting around her chin and then stroking her cheek gingerly.

Gabriella felt her body gradually inclining towards him, inch by inch, never unlinking their fierce gaze. Then, in an absolute trance—her quest to inform Troy of her pregnancy totally forgotten—she pressed her lips carefully to his, pulling away after a brief two seconds. But Troy's hand had draped around her neck, and he jerked Gabriella closer once more. Their hungry lips reattached with more ardor, the kiss deepening as the seconds ticked by. Gabriella's head began to spin as Troy lay down on the bed, tugging Gabriella on top of him, her legs falling at his sides in a straddle. Their hands roamed; their lips explored; and off went Troy's shirt, Troy's shorts….

Gabriella was moaning as Troy trailed kisses down her neck, Troy lifting up her T-shirt and throwing it aside without a glance. His hands began at her neck and slowly ventured down, ripping off her bra in the process, running down her ribs and stomach when he stopped. Troy's eyes jolted to the spot where his hands felt a mound, and he almost had a heart attack.

"What the…?"

"Troy, I—" Gabriella desperately tried to explain. "Troy, I was going to tell you—"

"—You're _pregnant_?" Troy interjected with a serious tone. His eyes were hard, and Gabriella's own gushed with tears at this displeased reaction. Damn hormones.

"I think so," Gabriella whimpered fearfully in the smallest voice.

"You _think _so?" Troy questioned, perplexed.

"I haven't taken a test yet," Gabriella admitted weakly, her face reddening in embarrassment. She shrunk low, scooting a foot away from Troy on the bed.

"No, come here," Troy murmured tenderly, reaching for her and pulling her back to his warm body. Gabriella's stomach was somersaulting as Troy cuddled with her, pushing them back against the wall of pillows against the bed's headboard. "We're going to the doctor's tomorrow, okay?"

"Troy, I—" Gabriella gulped through a mouthful of salty tears, unable to stop crying.

"It's okay, baby," Troy whispered endearingly to her, his nose rubbing against her cheekbone. "I understand you."

He had called her baby. He understood her.

That only caused a few more tears to trickle down her overemotional face.

Troy wouldn't let Gabriella go; he kept a good grasp on her, silently signaling to her that he wanted her to stay the night with him. And so she did, nestled comfortably with Troy under the blanket.

"You've got to tell Alessandra, Gabi," Troy whispered to her in the dark. "Tomorrow. There's no way she can still give you that crazy amount of work."

Gabriella nodded, her tears having subsided although she was still so tired.

"I will. And…Troy?"

"Uh huh?"

His fingertips gently caressed her elbow, in a specific loving way that Gabriella hadn't felt for so long.

"Are you happy? Or are you mad?"

Troy sighed, not sure what to say or how to say it. "Is it mine?"

Gabriella actually laughed aloud. "Who else's?"

Astounded, Troy bounced up, springing out of the bed like a character would do in a cartoon.

"It's _MINE_?!" Troy yelped animatedly, startling Gabriella.

"Troy, I'm pretty far along," Gabriella added sheepishly, sitting up and rather amused at Troy's theatrical outburst. "This is the result of the last time we had sex…in December…."

"_This_ is wh—fuck! Are you _shitting_ me?"

Troy was running circles around the room, combing his fingers through his hair frenziedly in disbelief.

"Since it's _ours_—God, that changes everything!" Troy exclaimed.

"You thought it was John's? We were on the rocks for a while before I met you again here," Gabriella replied helpfully. "I've got no doubt that it's yours, Troy."

Troy was now the one who was restless.

Suddenly, he launched himself at the bed, throwing his arms around Gabriella and squeezing her tight. His heart was racing so fast in his chest that he was scaring himself.

"Congratulations, baby," Troy breathed excitedly, pecking her lips. "God, I can't believe it. You know that I've wanted this since high school? For you to have my baby?"

"Really?" Gabriella asked softly, staring up where she knew his face was. Even in the dark, she knew where his lips were, kissing them gently. "Well…so did I."

Troy grinned in delight. "God, I'm so happy."

Gabriella giggled once more, coaxing him down onto the bed with her nimble fingers. "Sleep, Troy."

"You can't possibly ask me of that now," Troy chuckled in her ear, his breath tickling her.

Finally, things looked like they would turn around.

Right?


	7. A New Life in this World

**A/N: I know I have no excuse for the lateness, but I hope this chapter makes up for it! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of these people, and I'm not affiliated with them or Disney in any way. **

* * *

"You know that it was extremely dangerous of you to come this late to me," Dr. Becker reprimanded with a staunch expression. Tilting his head up from his tiny laptop, he peered up at the timid pair over his thin-rimmed glasses, scaring both a good amount.

"I-I know, Dr. Becker," Gabriella responded shakily. She felt Troy grip her waist reassuringly. "It's just that I didn't even know until not too long ago." Gabriella prayed he wouldn't ask when that was.

"Hmph," Dr. Becker mumbled. "Well, you do have an excuse. People are different and have different pregnancies, and it looks like you started showing later. Either way, you will need to pick up some vitamins at the drugstore. We'll take care of that in a few. Would you like to find out the sex of the baby?"

Gabriella looked up excitedly at Troy. "God, I'm dying to know."

"Yes?" Dr. Becker huffed, wearing that miserable frown he had been showcasing since the start of the appointment. "Alright, the next room over is where the ultrasound technician is waiting."

"Oh my God, Troy!" Gabriella yelped energetically, squeezing Troy's hand. "I can't wait to find out."

"Fifty that's it's a girl," Troy chuckled in her ear.

"You're on," Gabriella muttered, although believing herself that it was a girl.

Both of them turned out to be wrong.

"Congratulations," the ultrasound technician congratulated them. "You're having a boy."

"Wow," Gabriella breathed, knowing she would react that way either way. She and Troy stared in awe at the blurry figure on the black-and-white screen, her heart thudding in her chest. This was _hers _and _Troy's_.

"The baby's position is flipped," the black-haired technician explained.

Dr. Becker took a good at the screen before beginning to speak seriously, "We're going to have to monitor the position carefully, because right now he's breech. If he's not vertex by the time the birth rolls around, we've got to do a C-section."

Gabriella knew that there was a large chance that she'd have a C-section for the third time, despite the baby's position. Bennett and Jack had been premature, so this baby was most likely going to be premature, and so she'd have another guaranteed C-section.

"Wow, Gab," Troy breathed in marvel. He leaned down and kissed her on the forehead gently, his eyes alight. "That's amazing. A boy. Our boy."

Back at home, Troy and Gabriella were already thinking of names.

"What about Kevin?"

"Too common."  
"Peter?"

"Eh."

"Riley?"  
"I knew this kid named Riley once," said Gabriella dryly. "He was a pain in the ass."

"Okay, no Riley. What about Gregory?"

"No. It sounds like really strict."

"Tom?"

"And Jerry?"  
"Okay, then. No Jerry."

Gabriella smiled at Troy. They were reclining on a sofa in the living room, and Troy was massaging Gabriella's awfully sore feet, making Gabriella sigh with pleasure every moment or so.

"Somehow I know we'll be fighting about names for a while," laughed Gabriella softly.

Troy agreed with a chuckle, "I know. But we're both picky with names. You pretty much nixed all the ones I liked most."

"Sorry, baby." Gabriella put on a fake guilty pout.

"It's okay." Troy paused and began to speak again in thought. "When are you telling Alessandra? About the pregnancy, I mean?"

Gabriella sighed loudly into the air, contemplating the dilemma on the spot.

"Tomorrow. I'll do it tomorrow."

* * *

"Yes?" Alessandra snapped impatiently, her eyes glued to her computer screen. "Gabriella, what are you here for? What did you want to tell me?"

"Um, Alessandra," Gabriella said nervously, her hands folded awkwardly behind her back. "I'm, uh, pregnant."  
Alessandra suddenly glanced up at Gabriella, and her wrinkled face broke out into cynical laughter.

"Oh, Gabriella! Don't you think I already knew?" Alessandra replied in amusement. "I mean, look at yourself. It's not too hard to tell."

Gabriella wasn't sure if that was a true insult or not. She squirmed sheepishly in her rigid stance before Alessandra's desk.

"Well, I just wanted to let you know. I wasn't sure—"

"—When you reach seven months, I'll let you go. You do need your rest," sighed Alessandra, as if she were disappointed that this was true. She took a small sip of deep-colored wine from a fragile glass on her desk. "But I expect you back in work two months after your due date. When is that?"

"August fourteenth, Alessandra."

"Okay, then. You will be back on October fourteenth then."

Alessandra looked back at her computer and began clicking away again, and Gabriella felt as if she were writing it down right then.

"Okay. Now go back to work," ordered Alessandra, not looking back up at Gabriella. And then quietly, as if she never handed out praise, Alessandra quickly muttered, "Keep it up."

Gabriella held back a delighted smile and reported back to work like she was told.

* * *

The month flew by. Soon enough, the older kids were out of school, and Gabriella spent the days taking care of them. Many times she took them along with the errands she had to run and outings she had to take, like going to the post office and dentist appointments and such. She attracted many curious stares, and on bad experiences (which were most of them), much annoying paparazzi.

Gabriella was scared mostly for the children and their safety more than anything else. It frightened her, seeing all of these greedy photographers snapping photos of tiny children they did not know. In spirit, Troy's kids were hers too, and it hurt to see them wiggle uncomfortably under the spotlight just as it hurt for her to see her own kids like that. With every day, the paparazzi shaved more and more at Gabriella's patience.

Gabriella sighed as she made her way through a supermarket one especially hot day in early July. It was Independence Day tomorrow, and Gabriella was gathering food and supplies for the picnic she and Troy were going to have. It was a new thing that they were going to try with the kids in their backyard.

The older two boys, Bennett and Jacob, were at day camp, so Gabriella often had to watch the other three boys. Sometimes she would hire help, but they were not always available. And as you could quite easily image, handling three small boys was not easy. Jack would not stop clinging to her leg, Sam was always skipping out in front, and Ben was always pulling cans off shelves and singing at the top of his lungs.

"Alright, Ben," she said aloud, talking more to herself than anyone. "What do you think. Chunky peanut butter or smooth?"

Ben didn't say anything. He just smiled up adorably at his mother.

"Alright, then. Chunky it is…. Sam! Sam! Come back here!"

Gabriella sighed and walked to the end of the aisle as quickly as she could with all the new extra weight she had on. She took tugged Sam back down to the cart, much to his dismay, and with difficulty, seated him in the shopping chart.

"Now you can't run away. Don't do that to Mommy, you scared me."

"But I like to run!" complained Sam, throwing his arms up in the air in protest.

Gabriella tried hard not to smile. He was so cute.

"You can run around at home, okay?" reasoned Gabriella. "In the backyard. We can all go swimming later."

"Yay!" clapped Sam jubilantly, grinning with glee.

Gabriella laughed.

While she was skimming the soda selection, she felt the baby kick her stomach from the inside. She put her hand on her stomach for a moment, smiling to herself in joy. Gabriella was honestly unable to feel any happier than she already was that she was having this baby with Troy. Finally, for once, there would be something real and touchable to represent their love. There would be something to connect them forever.

"Can I feel?" requested Sam happily. "I want to feel the babby!"

"The baby?" Gabriella corrected him gently. She took his tiny hand and brought it down to her stomach. It had gotten so enormous in the past weeks, she could hardly believe it. She felt a difference even every week. This was going to be one big football player, she knew. She was already seven months in and that was a record; so no premature baby, thankfully. It surprised Gabriella, but pleased her too.

"I can feel it!" giggled Sam. "I feel the baby!"

"It's your brother!" smiled Gabriella in response. "You're going to have another brother."

After Gabriella had finally paid for her items and rounded up the kids, she began to make her way to her car. It was in the parking lot, near the very front, and even still, a horde of paparazzi flocked her and the kids.

"GABRIELLA! WHOSE BABY ARE YOU PREGNANT WITH? IS IT TROY'S OR JOHN'S?"

"GABRIELLA! HOW DOES IT FEEL TO TAKE CARE OF TROY'S KIDS LIKE THEY ARE YOURS?"

"ARE YOU GOING TO KEEP WORKING FOR ALESSANDRA AFTER THE BABY IS BORN?"

"IS IT A BOY OR A GIRL?"

"WHAT'S THE BABY'S NAME?"

"Stay close," murmured Gabriella to her children. She held on tightly to the hands of Ben and Sam. Jack continued to cling tightly to her leg.

"I don't like these scary people," Ben began to cry, tears streaming down his soft face. "I don't like it, I don't like it!"

Gabriella's heart began to hammer hard in her chest. They were completely encircled by paparazzi, flashing photos right in their faces. Even she, herself, was beginning to get nervous. How did it always get worse and worse? When would they finally just back away?

She forced herself through the cluster of paparazzi, rushing to her car.

"Get in," she told the kids, opening the back door for them. "Can you buckle yourselves?"

Gabriella sighed as she got in the front seat. This would probably be the last time she could drive.

She looked in her rearview mirror, and frowned at the sight of all the paparazzi, still there and taking he pictures. They were in every window, every place she looked. Her stomach rumbled queasily; there was no way out!

Finally, she eased her way out of the parking lot, managing not to run any guy over. When she got home, she felt the urge to scream, but instead relaxed at the pool with the kids.

* * *

"Guess what, Troy!" Gabriella told Troy one day excitedly as he was eating breakfast. He had to hurry to catch a flight to an away game, but Gabriella was dying to tell him before he left.

"What?"

"Today is my due date. I've never reached my due date before!" Gabriella sighed in amazement. "I always seem to be too small to carry the babies to term…but this time, I made it!"

"Aww, babe, I'm so happy for you!" Troy murmured, leaning over his plate of eggs and kissing Gabriella chastely on the lips. "And for us," he added with a chuckle.

Gabriella smiled.

"So any day, I could go into labor!" Gabriella said, honestly excited. She couldn't wait to meet the baby. "God, I just hope the baby's healthy."

"I hope so, too."

"I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow. I'll tell you how it goes."

* * *

Gabriella was lying on her back on the table at the doctor's office, watching the fuzzy image of the baby curled up on screen. Ultrasounds never ceased to amaze Gabriella. It was crazy how she could see inside her like this.

"The baby's still in a breech position," sighed the technician. "So it's still a C-section as of now."

"Since we're past the due date, I typically wait two weeks before I induce," stated Dr. Becker. "So if the baby doesn't want to come out before August twenty-eighth, I shall see you then."

"Alright, doctor," Gabriella sighed. The technician began to wipe the cool jelly of her huge stomach. "You know, I just want this baby to be healthy. I have had some complications before, so I won't hesitate to take any extra precautions."

"Cook him in there a little longer?" laughed Dr. Becker in his deep voice. "Take care, Gabriella. Calm me if you have any questions."

Once at home, Gabriella called Troy with the news.

"Hopefully you don't have to carry him for too much longer," commented Troy. "He already seems to be healthy."

"I know," Gabriella said. "It's just gonna be a few more days. I can take that."

But it wasn't just a few more days. And it grew very hot outside and very uncomfortable for Gabriella. The only advantage was that Troy had returned home and helped her out tremendously.

"This baby is like a monster," groaned Gabriella, shifting in her seat at the table. They were eating dinner on the patio as it was so sunny and lovely that day, and the heavy heat was making Gabriella grumpy. She loved summer and she loved being outdoors, but this time, it just wasn't doing it for her.

"I know, he's huge," replied Troy, taking a bite from his sandwich. "Do you think he could play basketball?"  
"He already is…inside my stomach," muttered Gabriella.

"I can't believe he continues to grow," Troy shook his head in disbelief. "He's bigger than last week, I swear."

Gabriella didn't want to complain, because she knew this was a good thing, but she was getting really sick of being pregnant. She just wanted the baby to be okay, and that kept her going. Also, she and Troy hadn't decided on a name yet, so it was good that they had some extra time.

"What about Harry?"

"Not like Potter, please," said Troy.

"What about Marcus?"

"No."

"Bart?"

"Simpson."

"Derek?"

"Reminds me of baseball. I hate baseball."

"Alex?"

"The name of a snotty girlfriend I had in middle school."

Gabriella sighed, crossing off the said names on her list. This was nearly hopeless. They were sitting on their bed, ready to go to sleep.

"What about Troy Junior?" proposed Troy hopefully.

Gabriella laughed and caressed his cheek gingerly with the back of her hand.

"Nice one, babe, but no way."

* * *

Another week had passed; it was August twenty-eighth, and just about as Gabriella was going to phone Dr. Becker, she received a call from his receptionist.

"Miss?" asked the receptionist. "I'm really sorry to inform you that Dr. Becker had to attend to a sudden death in the family. He flew out last night to Boston and unfortunately will not be back until next Saturday." Gabriella felt her heart drop in her chest. This was unbelievable. "But we do recommend Dr. McNally, who's available. She's a great—"

"—Thanks for letting me know," sighed Gabriella disappointedly in the receiver.

"Dr. Becker specifically told me to relay this message to you," continued the receptionist. "He said that if the baby doesn't come out before he comes back, he can deliver the baby himself. He said that you were in an extremely healthy condition and that any risks of waiting another week would be very small, so waiting would not be a bad choice. But, if you would like to have the baby before then, just go right ahead and call Dr. McNally."

"Thank you," Gabriella mumbled. Goddamnit. She gripped the phone hard next to her ear. "I'm going to have to talk about this with my boyfriend. Have a good day."

"Have a good day. Take care. Thank you."

Gabriella sighed once more in despair as she put the phone down. When Troy got home from practice, she almost immediately began to rant about it to him.

"This is ridiculous," Gabriella complained to Troy, almost a bit angrily, "but I don't want some lady I don't know delivering my baby."

"And after everything you've gone through…"

"God, babe, I know this is a long time, but I'm just going to wait until Dr. Becker comes back. He said I would still be healthy if I waited a little more."

"Okay, Gabi," Troy nodded in understanding. He took her hand in his. "I know this really is not fun for you, but just think about the baby we'll be getting in a week." He kissed her hand and smiled against her skin.

"I know, honey. Trust me, this is better than being scared to death when you have a premature baby," sighed Gabriella.

"I guess this little Bolton boy is a fighter."

"Just like his daddy."

* * *

"Babe!" smiled Troy one afternoon after he came home from practice, pecking Gabriella on the cheek. "There's a…favor…that I need to ask of you."

Gabriella dropped a T-shirt onto her stomach, which felt like the size of a globe. She'd been folding the laundry.

"What?"

"My parents are having a barbecue on Saturday," Troy explained with excitement, "and I really want you to come. They've been so anxious to meet you, they especially asked me."

Gabriella bit her lip, pondering the situation.

"It's this annual thing," Troy elaborated, and Gabriella could see the hope swelling in his blue eyes. "It's always on the second of September, 'cause that's my dad's birthday. My brothers will be there, and you can meet everyone," smiled Troy at the happy thought. "They really, really want to meet you, Gab."

"Your parents live like two hours away."

"Hour and a half."

"C'mon, Troy."

"C'mon, Gabi. Please."

Troy was wearing this nearly irresistible puppy dog look.

"If the baby still isn't out, I doubt it'll be out then," Troy sighed. "Face it, it's a stubborn baby."

Gabriella gave Troy a stern look, weighing her options.

"Fine," she said finally. Even if she did go into labor there, she still wouldn't have Dr. Becker. She'd just go to the local hospital there, and besides, that might even be nice, considering she would probably get no paparazzi.

"Yes? Are you serious?" Troy knelt down and kissed Gabriella cleanly on the lips. "Thank you so much, babe. You're going to love my family, I promise."

* * *

Troy's parents' house was gorgeous. It was a grand brick house that sat on its own few acres of land, lush grass spreading out in all directions. There was a patio and pool in the backyard, and the sun was shining hard that day. Overall, Gabriella was in a good mood as she met Troy's parents for the first time.

"Hi, I'm Jack," said Troy's father. He was a tall, sturdy man with the same blue eyes as Troy and a strong handshake. Gabriella smiled as she pulled her hand away.

"I know. Troy told me. I happen to have a son named Jack," Gabriella laughed.

"Oh, do you really?" Jack Bolton laughed. "Yes, Jack's a common name. I always have about five on my basketball team every year." Jack paused, and then clarified his words. "I coach high school basketball."

"I knew that," Gabriella laughed. "Troy told me."

"Oh…well, yes. Out in New Mexico I used to, and then when we moved out here, I continued. I just love doing it," Jack said. "I love seeing all of these fresh-faced talented kids, teaching them what I know so they can improve and continue to succeed."

"He's really passionate about basketball," laughed Troy's mother, a smaller woman with dark wavy hair. "Hi, I'm Leann."

Leann stuck her hand out to Gabriella's for a shake, and then went on to tell Gabriella about her experiences as a lawyer.

"I love it just as much as Jack loves basketball," Leann nodded. "But I haven't been doing it for as long as he has. Jack's been playing pretty much since he left the womb."

"So, like this one!" Gabriella laughed, pointing to her bulging stomach. "Troy and I were talking about that a little while ago."

"Oh, how is the little one? Troy told me you're very overdue," sighed Leann sympathetically.

"Very."

"Have you two picked out a name yet?"

"No," Troy and Gabriella said in unison. The four of them laughed out loudly together.

Overall, Gabriella found Troy's parents to be exceptionally nice. They didn't give her a hard time about her situation with Troy, and they were very hospitable and generous. Gabriella also met Troy's two brothers, Kyle and Brett, and Brett's girlfriend, Yvette. They were all very nice as well, and Gabriella felt herself fitting in perfectly with Troy's family.

"I call this a success," Gabriella sighed as she leaned back into her beach chair. They were lounging out besides the pool, and Troy was keeping an eye on the kids, who were playing around in the shallow end with his brothers. "Your family is amazing, Troy."

"I told you."

Gabriella smiled up at him through the light. "You were right."

"You know what, Gabi?" Troy smiled as he slathered sun tan lotion over his arms. "You look extremely sexy in that pink bikini."

"You're lying," Gabriella shot back. "I've got this enormous stomach. The last thing I am is sexy. I swear to God, the fourth cannot come quick enough."

"I'm serious," protested Troy sweetly, chuckling at Gabriella's previous remark. "You're always sexy to me."

"Aww, babe. I would lean over and give you a kiss, but I kind of can't move right now."

Troy grinned, instead bending over and giving Gabriella a kiss.

"It looks like you're having twins, Gab," Troy said in reference to her stomach. He began to rub it gently.

"I know. It sucks because I'm not," Gabriella sighed. "Just two more days. Two more days."

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

On the fourth, Gabriella excitedly called Dr. Becker.

"I'm so sorry for your loss," she said quickly, eager to get right down to it. "That must really have been devastating, to have to fly out last minute. Listen, you said that today I could have the baby—"

"—Yes, I did. Alright, come over to the hospital after lunch, at one o'clock, and we'll get this baby. See you then."

"See you."

Gabriella jumped excitedly when she put the phone down.

"Troy, can you believe it? We'll see him by tonight!"

Troy's arms wrapped around Gabriella, and he smiled as he kissed her hair.

"I can't wait. My brother Brett and his girlfriend are coming over to watch the kids, like we said," Troy murmured. "They'll be here in half an hour, they said."

"Great," Gabriella said breathlessly, and she went upstairs to pack some last minute things for the hospital.

* * *

Gabriella was lying down in the hospital bed. She'd already been induced, gotten an epidural, and was waiting for her contractions to grow closer together. Troy sat beside the bed, gripping her hand in support.

"You're dilating very well," said Dr. Becker to Gabriella. "It won't be long at all before we deliver this big baby."

"Thank goodness."

"Okay, I'll be back soon. Ask a nurse if you need any help."

Dr. Becker left the room, and Gabriella looked at Troy.

"Troy, we still haven't picked out a name," she said slowly. "This might be a problem."

"Fine, what do you say about these last ones that I'll be saying as they come into my head: Andrew."

"No."

"Jason?"

"And the Argonauts."

"Ken?"

"And Barbie."

"Mike?"

"And Ike."

"Oliver?"

"Too snobby sounding."

"You're right!" Troy threw his hands up in the air. "We're never going to agree on a name."

After many more endless minutes of arguing about names, Dr. Becker came back in the room.

"Oh my!" he gasped after checking Gabriella's dilation. "You're already ten centimeters! This baby's on the verge of slipping right out."

"Oh my God…" breathed Gabriella speechlessly. Was this it?

"I think we're just going to have a vaginal birth," Dr. Becker decided, pulling on his latex gloves. "The baby's head seems to be down now, so it would be easiest to just push him on out. Are you ready?"

"Wait, now?" gulped Gabriella. "The baby's not breech anymore?"

"You can do this, Gab," encouraged Troy, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

"Yes," said Dr. Becker. He took the covers off of Gabriella's body. "Scoot over closer to the edge of the bed if you want and pull up the gown. Whatever is most comfortable for you."

Gabriella slid over to the edge of the bed, placing her feet on the floor. She bunched the hospital gown above her stomach, which she could barely see over.

"Okay, Anna, Karen," Dr. Becker called over some nurses to stand by. He walked over to grab some tools, but suddenly Gabriella felt the urge to push. Miraculously, her body began to do so without her even doing anything.

When Dr. Becker walked back over, he was impressed. "Wow, Gabriella," said Dr. Becker. "The head is already crowning! I didn't even tell you to push."

"Oh my God," Troy swallowed, amazed by what he was seeing. He cleared some hair away from Gabriella's face. "This is amazing, baby."

Gabriella didn't even know what she was doing; her body had taken control and pushing the baby out on its own.

"The head is halfway out," commented Dr. Becker. "Do you want to feel it?"

Gabriella nodded slowly and reached her hand in between her legs to where she could feel the baby's head. It was the most wonderful thing, and she regretted not being able to have this intimate moment with her sons.

"Great job, Gabriella," said Dr. Becker supportively. "That's a big head, and you're doing wonderfully. Just ease it out a little with your hands, and it'll be out…. Great job, great job, Gabriella." The doctor quickly cleared the mucus from the baby's nasal passages.

"Gabi, he has red hair!" Troy exclaimed, looking below her stomach.

"Really?" asked Gabriella in surprise. "Where did that come from?"

"Do you want to see?" offered Dr. Becker. He held a mirror below her, and Gabriella was able to see the wet red hair on the baby's head.

"Wow," Gabriella said, "I didn't see that one coming."

Dr. Becker grabbed a towel and held it under the baby's head. The neck slid out, and the baby began to cry.

"Do you hear that, babe?" Troy whispered in her ear. "He's crying!"

"Just a few more pushes, Gabriella," guided the doctor.

Gabriella gave one big push, and the baby's shoulders were squeezed out. Another quick push got out the chest.

"Great job, Gabriella," said Dr. Becker. He quickly wrapped the baby in the towel, and the legs fell out as he gave the baby up to Gabriella.

"Aww," Gabriella murmured as she gazed adoringly at the little bundle.

"I'll leave you three alone for a moment," said Dr. Becker. "The baby seems to be perfectly healthy, his breathing is excellent and his skin is a good pink. Congratulations on your boy."

Dr. Becker left the room for a moment.

"He's perfect, Troy," whispered Gabriella. His nose was so cute, the way he was scrunching it up. He was definitely a big guy, and Gabriella was amazed that he had just come out of her body. "I can't believe he's ours."

"I know," responded Troy in awe.

"Hey…about names," began Gabriella, "I actually kind of like Troy Junior."

"What?" Troy asked, his eyes wide. "Really?"

"Yeah. I do," smiled Gabriella at the thought. "He can be like the mini Troy. We already know he likes basketball."

They both laughed, staring at their new baby in utter wonder. His eyes fluttered open gently, and Gabriella sighed in delight as she saw they were the same wonderful blue as Troy's eyes.

"Look, baby," she said. "His eyes are like yours."

"You like that?"

"Yes, I think you have beautiful eyes."

"Thanks, baby."

Troy pressed a kiss to Gabriella's cheek.

A nurse named Anna suddenly strode forward.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but we need to weigh and clean the baby now," she explained. "Would the father like to cut the cord?"

"Yeah, sure."

Troy made the incision that the nurse instructed, and soon enough, she carried the little bundle away.

"I don't want to leave him!" laughed Gabriella.

Troy helped her get back under the covers. She was surprised by how worn out she felt.

"I want to call everyone," Troy exclaimed elatedly. "I want to tell them all about him."

"Wait, Troy," Gabriella said, her eyes serious. "I was meaning to talk to you about this. I don't want anyone to know about him."

"Why not?" Troy asked, his face avalanching.

"I mean, obviously your family yes, but everyone else…I just don't want him to be thrust into the spotlight. It's not fair that just because we are famous, he has to as well," Gabriella whispered gravely.

Troy nodded slowly in understanding.

"Okay. I know that's a big secret to hide, but…I agree."

"It's for his own safety, you know? We just want him—"

"—Excuse me, miss?" said the nurse named Anna, quickly striding back to them. "Dr. Becker was mistaken; the baby is a girl, not a boy."

"WHAT?!" Gabriella gasped in astonishment. "Now this, I really did not see coming!"

"Holy fuck," muttered Troy, running his fingers through his hair. Then he smiled. "Wow. Our first girl."

"Yes, the doctor had to run to deliver another baby, but he wanted me to tell you that he is deeply sorry for that mistake," said Anna.

"It's not even his mistake, it's the ultrasound technician's," grumbled Gabriella distastefully. "Stupid ultrasound technician. Whatever. I'm happy we have a girl, Troy! Wow. Imagine. We have a girl." A broad grin stretched out on Gabriella's face suddenly as she looked at Troy. "What do we name her?"

"What name do you like?"

"Julia."

"Perfect."

And so Julia Leann Bolton was born on September fourth at four fifty-three in the afternoon.


End file.
